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Our Life in China. 



BY 

HELEN S. C. NEVIUS. 



NEW YORK : 

HURST & COMPANY, Publishers, 

122 Nassau Street. 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, In the year 1868, by 

Robert Carter and Brothers, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United Stales for the 

Southern District of New York. 



Copyright, 1891, 
By HURST & COMPANY. 



ARGYLE PRESS. 

Book Manufacturers, 

265-267 Cherry St., N. Y. 






TO MT HUSBAND, 

THE REV. JOHN L. NEVIUS 

I DEDICATE 



THIS NARRATIVE 
OF 

OUR LIFE IN CHINA, 






VI CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XI. page 

Incidents in Missionary Life— Leaving Ningpo 300 

CHAPTER XII. 
First Summer at Tung-chow 327 

CHAPTER XIII. 
Description of Shantung — Incursion of the Rebels .... 348 

CHAPTER XIV. 
Various Incidents at Tung-chow — Cholera 378 

CHAPTER XV. 
Work among Women in Tung-chow 400 

CHAPTER XVI. 
Tsing-wan-ts — Views of Missionary Life — Absurd Rumors. 423 

CHAPTER XVII. 
Illness and Death of Mr. Rankin 446 

CHAPTER XVIII. 
Last Summer at Tung-chow 455 

CHAPTER XIX. 
Sojourn at Ningpo — Modes of preparing Tea for Market . 470 

CHAPTER XX. 
Trip up the River Yiang-tse — Leaving China ...... 494 









OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

CHAPTER I. 

VOYAGE TO AND ARRIVAL IN CHINA. 

I remember that, in one of my earliest 
lessons in geography, I was told of a country 
directly underneath me, on the opposite side of 
the globe ; and my teacher added the sage re- 
mark, that, if I should make a hole directly 
through the earth, I would come upon a very 
strange people, called Chinese. The idea 
haunted me. Some vague conceptions of the 
" pneumatic express" dawned upon my infant 
mind. Would it be possible, I wondered, to 
make such a small, safe tunnel, and to glide 
swiftly through until I could see, with my own 
eyes, those singular men, with hair braided 
down their backs, and grown-up women, with 
feet no larger than my own, whose food was 
" rats, cats, and puppies " ? 



8 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

Well, in the course of years it came to pass 
that I did go to China ; not, as I had once im- 
agined, through that extraordinary hole in the 
ground, but with my missionary husband, in a 
sailing vessel called the " Bombay." 

We sailed from Boston, on the 19th of Sep- 
tember, 1853. The "Bombay" was an old, 
India trader, neither comfortable, nor, indeed, 
seaworthy; though, of that fact, we were, at 
the time, fortunately not aware. 

Our " state-room" was on deck, opening off 
the dining cabin; in size, just three and a half 
feet wide, and not quite six long. 

How two people managed to stow themselves 
away, within such narrow limits, may be a mys- 
tery to some ; but we did it for six long months. 
Indeed, it was a discipline well suited to prepare 
us for the change, from the ease and comforts of 
home, to the varied experiences of missionary 
life. 

Though the ship was badly provisioned, I do 
not think we suffered in consequence, as we had 
a capital steward, who made the most of the 
materials within his reach. Although a voyage 
of such length, even under more favorable cir- 
cumstances, must necessarily be more or less 
monotonous, we were, by no means, unhappy. 






VOYAGE TO AND ARRIVAL IN CHINA. 9 

Our captain was kind and obliging. We read, 
studied, sang, or walked the little space of deck 
in front of the house, for exercise; and thus, by 
keeping busy, the time passed pleasantly and 
profitably. 

I amused myself with my guitar, until, find- 
ing it prevented the officers from their custom- 
ary sleep in the daytime, I was obliged to give 
it up. We were both good sailors, and the 
" wonders of the deep" were an unceasing 
source of interest and pleasure. I well remem- 
ber our first storm. It occurred just as I was 
recovering from sea-sickness, and I had not been 
on deck since we lost sight of land. My hus- 
band insisted upon my going out, — "It is so 
glorious ! " he said. " You must see it ! " And 
indeed it was glorious, — far beyond my powers 
of description. It brought vividly to mind the 
beautiful 107th Psalm, — 

" They that go down to the sea in ships, that 
do business in great waters : 

" These see the works of the Lord, and his 
wonders in the deep. 

" For he commandeth and raiseth the stormy 
wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. 

" They mount up to the heaven, they go down 
again to the depths." 



10 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

I know of no sight more impressive and awful 
than the ocean in, or immediately after, a storm. 
The consciousness it gives of the presence, 
power, and majesty of God is overpowering. I 
have often wondered that a godless man can en- 
joy it. 

Nearly every Sabbath during the voyage, 
when the weather would allow, Mr. Nevius held 
religious services. As the cabin was very 
small, they were necessarily upon deck. They 
were attended by the captain, and most of the 
sailors, who listened with attention, and showed 
at least external interest. It seemed, however, 
that there was often more " squaring the yards," 
"working the ship," and more probability of 
"squalls" and storms, on the morning of the 
holy day, than the actual state of the weather 
appeared to indicate. These various contingen- 
cies rendering it quite impossible to secure the 
quiet necessary for public devotional exercises, 
we were not unfrequently obliged to omit them 
altogether. 

While off the Cape of Good Hope we were 
several days " hove to " in a gale; and numer- 
ous ships near us were in the same condition. 
One of these days was peculiarly trying, the 
ship rolling so that for mere safety I was 



VOYAGE TO AND ARRIVAL IN CHINA. 11 

obliged to stay in my berth. The door to the 
cabin was open, and thus I witnessed an amus- 
ing incident. When the ship gave a lurch 
unusually violent, out from the pantry rolled, 
not only plates, dishes of all kinds, and various 
culinary utensils, but also a barrel of pickles, 
which emptied its contents upon the cabin floor. 
Oh, such a scene ! It was so ludicrous that, 
not withstanding the wild commotion without, 
and the fact that it was rather a catastrophe on 
board such a poorly found vessel, we had a 
hearty laugh. All but the poor steward ! I 
doubt whether the risible muscles of his ebony 
visage were the least disturbed. It was too 
serious a matter for him, poor fellow ! He 
scrambled hither and thither, gathering up the 
fragments, and at length restored order, and 
succeeded in making fast every movable article. 
After being nearly four months at sea, we had 
a glimpse of the island of St. Pauls, at a dis- 
tance of ten miles. Being the first land we had 
seen since we left Boston harbor, it was invested 
with wonderful interest. Again and again we 
read the description given of it in a nautical 
work of the captain's ; of its being the resort of 
a few fishermen; of its having one, and only 
one object of interest, namely, a hot spring, so 



12 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

situated that one could catch fish from a cold 
spring close at hand, and toss them into that, 
and cook them there. 

On the 30th of January we passed through 
the Straits of Timor. When we came on deck, 
about five o'clock in the morning, we were mid- 
way between the islands of Timor and Ombay. 
The sun had not yet risen, and mists partially 
obscured the mountain-tops. These tropical 
islands, clothed in richest verdure, with trees 
and plants of many kinds and colors, seen from 
the ship, as we sailed slowly by, seemed almost 
too beautiful for earth. There are skeptics, I 
believe, who aver that the " spicy breezes," 
which "blow soft o'er Ceylon's isle," are only 
imaginary; but I have often had an opportu- 
nity of noticing these land-breezes, and I can 
say from experience that, though very soft and 
balmy, they are real and delicious, like the 
perfume of flowers. With the aid of a spy- 
glass, we discovered numbers of small villages, 
— some at the water's edge, and others far up 
the mountain-side. From several of these islands 
the natives came off in their long, narrow prows, 
with a few articles for sale, — nothing, however, 
of value, — only some specimens of coral, shells, 
and birds. The latter were beautiful ; and so 



VOYAGE TO AND ARRIVAL IN CHINA. 13 

many were purchased by us and the men on 
board, that for a few days our ship had something 
the appearance and sound of an aviary. But, 
for some reason, the birds did not thrive; and 
before we reached Shanghai few of them were 
living. 

One morning, at daylight, we found ourselves 
near a fine large ship, on the deck of which was 
a lady with a spy-glass in hand. She had de- 
scried me also, and for a long while we looked 
at each other through our glasses. After break- 
fast, a boat came off from the stranger ship, with 
the compliments of the captain and his wife, and 
a present for the "Lady of the Bombay." As 
we were nearly becalmed, our captain and my 
husband returned the courtesy by going on 
board the " Rose Standish." They found her 
accommodations very good ; and the captain and 
his wife were cultivated and religious people, 
and exceedingly kind. I think they suspected 
that we were not very comfortable on our ship, 
as they invited, and even urged, us to make the 
remainder of the voyage with them, as their 
guests. We thought, however, for several rea- 
sons, that it would be better to remain where we 
were. Our acquaintance with this Christian 
family has, to me, a mournful interest. Only 



14 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

a week or two after reaching Shanghai, Capt. 
Pearson lost his life in assisting to protect the 
foreign settlement from an attack by the Chinese. 

After leaving the islands, we were still sev- 
eral weeks in reaching our destination. The 
weather was bad, and, for days, our captain was 
not able to take an observation, so as to fix our 
exact position. On one of these days we passed 
a sunken rock ; the ship scraping it, without 
other damage than losing part of her keel. 
The danger was great, as, had we gone a few 
feet further on the rock, we had probably been 
wrecked. 

At length, the muddy, yellow color of the 
water indicated very plainly that we must have 
reached the mouth of the Yiang-tse-kiang ; but 
the fog was dense, and no pilot near ; so, when 
we came to shallow water, we were obliged to 
drop anchor. I remember well the appearance 
of the Chinese junks lying near us. Seen 
through the mist, they seemed immense, and 
very weird and phantom-like. It was cold and 
stormy; and our situation, without a fire, and 
with necessarily much exposure, was exceedingly 
uncomfortable. We lay for three days at an- 
chor, waiting and hoping for a pilot. At length, 
some one discovered a white flag on a small 



VOYAGE TO AND ARRIVAL IN CHINA. 15 

Chinese vessel, in the distance ; and it was not 
long before it had brought us our much-wished- 
for pilot. I cannot express the interest we felt 
in him, coarse and grotesque as he seemed. 
He was, to us, the type of his race, among 
whom we had come to live and labor. He told 
us in " Pigeon English," which we then heard 
for the first time, that the rebels had taken 
Shanghai; and that " they makee too muchee 
bobbery, altogether too great a fighty ! " The 
fellow proved an incompetent pilot. He three 
times ran our ship aground. In the first two 
instances the rising tide prevented serious con- 
sequences ; but in the third we were hopelessly 
fast in the mud, unless we could secure the aid 
of a steam-tug to draw us off. Here our pilot 
ran away, and left us to get to Shanghai as best 
we might. We were still several miles from 
Woosung. 

At this conjuncture, a foreign compradore's 
boat, from Shanghai, came* alongside, and a 
young English lad, who commanded it, came on 
board the " Bombay." He explained more fully 
the state of affairs at Shanghai, and gave us 
some scraps of news from the outer world, to 
which we had so long been strangers. He also 
invited my husband and me to go up to Shang- 






16 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



hai in his boat ; assuring us that we would thus 
reach our friends before dark of that day; 
whereas, there was no immediate prospect of 
the " Bombay's " stirring from the spot where she 
then was. The opportunity was too tempting 
to be refused; so, in a chair suspended from a 
spar, I was lowered— « whipped," it is called, 
in sea-phrase— from the deck of the "Bombay"' 
to the little compradore boat. 

The banks of the river were low, and the 
scenery tame; but to us, after being so long at 
sea, it appeared delightful. The first few 
miles we enjoyed most thoroughly. Then, how- 
ever, night came on, and the boatmen positively 
refused to proceed. They were evidently afraid 
of something; and, on making inquiry, we found 
that between us and the city lay the whole im- 
perialist fleet; to pass through which, especially 
in the night, was a perilous undertaking. 

The captain of our boat, the only foreigner 
on board except ourselves, was a boy of sixteen 
with plenty of English "pluck," but with little 
discretion. 

At one o'clock, when the tide was strong in 
our favor, and the full moon made it almost as 
light as day, we again got under way, and 
proceeded quietly until just below the fleet, when 






VOYAGE TO AND ARRIVAL IN CHINA. 17 

the clang of gongs from vessel to vessel gave 
warning that they were all on the alert for in- 
truders. Our little "John Bull " came into the 
cabin, and, placing two loaded revolvers beneath 
his waistcoat, exclaimed, "I'll teach them to 
meddle with me ! They shall not stop my 
boat ! " And so we went on for some little dis- 
tance, the sounds from the junks becoming more 
ominous. Rockets were fired upon us, some of 
which fell either on our boat or in the water 
close to us. My husband now thought it time 
that he should interfere; and he told our little 
captain that we must stop at once. Almost as 
soon as our anchor dropped, a small boat from 
one of the junks pulled towards us. It was 
filled with dusky figures, each holding a spear 
or sword erect and glistening in the moonlight. 
They came on board, and would at once have 
searched the boat for contraband articles, which, 
I think, they would have found, had not the 
English boy thought of an expedient which 
caused them to alter their minds. He told them 
in Chinese, — which we of course did not under- 
stand, — that I was the sister of a merchant in 
Shanghai, with whom he knew them to be on 
friendly terms. This falsehood was, I suppose, 
their reason for not detaining or injuring us. 



18 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

With many humble apologies for having stopped 
us, and most polite salaams, they went, one 
after another, into their "sampan," and shoved 
off. All this time I had been standing with 
my husband on deck, not particularly alarmed ; 
but I afterwards found that the shock to my 
nerves had been very great. After the danger 
was over, and we had come to anchor close under 
the flag of the English Consulate. I trembled at 
every foot-fall, and more than once before day- 
break, begged Mr. Nevius to go on deck to see 
if we were really safe. The strange music of 
cannon on the city wall, where a continuous 
firing was kept up, did not assist in composing 
our minds to rest. Altogether it was not a very 
delightful adventure. 

It was only a few days after this that these 
same imperialists attacked the foreign settlement ; 
in assisting to protect which, our friend Captain 
Pearson was killed. 

The pretty chapel of the American Episcopal 
Mission was one of the first sights which greeted 
our eyes, the morning after our arrival. Leav- 
ing me in the boat, my husband went on shore 
to find our mission families. He called at a 
house near the chapel, and inquired for Mr. 
Wight or Mr. Culbertson. A lady, hearing the 






VOYAGE TO AND ARRIVAL IN CHINA. 19 

inquiry, recognized him at once and asked, "Is 
not this Mr. Nevius? We are all expecting 
you ; " giving him at the same time a most kindly 
welcome. This was Miss Emma Jones, of the 
American Episcopal Mission. 

Mr. Nevius soon returned, in company with 
Mr. Wight, who, we were grieved to learn, was 
on the eve of embarking for the United States. 
The gentlemeu brought with them a sedan-chair ; 
for, though the distance was short, the mud was 
so deep that it was almost impossible for a lady to 
wade through it. That was my first experience 
of a mode of locomotion with which I afterwards 
became very familiar. 

The Chinese city of Shanghai is, compara- 
tively, a small and insignificant one. The for- 
eign settlement, although not then as large and 
flourishing as it has since become, was still a 
place of much importance. We were surprised 
at the number and size of the foreign hongs 
and merchants' residences. At the time of this 
first visit to Shanghai, owing to the city's being 
in the hands of the rebels, with continual fight- 
ing between them and the imperialists, all for- 
eign residents, whose houses were in exposed sit- 
uations, had been obliged to leave them. There 
were three or four mission families crowded into 






20 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

one house ; but that circumstance added materi- 
ally to the pleasure of our visit. It was before 
the days of disunion and secession, and the har- 
mony and sociability of our new friends were 
truly delightful. The distinctions, Northern 
and Southern, English and American, seemed 
well-nigh forgotten, in that far-off land. All 
were hard at work; some of the gentlemen 
preaching daily, others translating and making 
books; and the ladies, with a few exceptions, 
were occupied in their schools, which at that time 
were large and flourishing. 

We remained in Shanghai about two weeks, 
and then sailed for Ningpo in the schooner 
" Speck," in company with the excellent Mr. 
Goddard, a Baptist missionary of Ningpo. 

A day or two previous, Rev. Mr. Wight and 
family, and Mrs. Coulter, whose husband had 
died at Ningpo, had left for America. Their 
ship had not yet fairly got out to sea, and when 
we came to anchor for the night below Woosung, 
we found ourselves close to it, and soon went on 
board to pay our friends a visit. We found them 
in great perplexity ; Mr. and Mrs. Wight had a 
family of small children, the youngest a babe of 
seven months. The child's wet-nurse had been 
left in Shanghai, and they had depended upon 



VOYAGE TO AND ARRIVAL IN CHINA. 21 

two goats to give milk for the baby on the voy- 
age. But even before they were out of sight of 
land, they found this plan did not answer; and 
the question was, " What shall be done? " It 
was risking the child's life to take her, and our 
coming just at that time seemed providential. 
Mr. Goddard urged them to leave the babe with 
his wife, who had previously offered to assume 
the charge of it ; and we also promised, very will- 
ingly, to take it, in case our services were re- 
quired. " Can I, must I, part with my dear 
baby ? ' ' exclaimed poor Mrs. Wight, the tears 
streaming down her cheeks. It was a terrible 
struggle, but there were only a few moments in 
which to decide it, as we must return to the boat. 
And so, although it nearly broke her heart, she 
gave her baby for a time to our care. 

Taking the little Annie with us, we went again 
on board the " Speck," and were soon out at sea. 
Two Ningpo women, one of whom was Annie's 
nurse, were with us, and occupied the berth at 
one side of our cabin. The nurse proved of 
not the least use in taking care of the child, as 
she soon became deathly sea-sick. The night 
was stormy, and the waves being short and 
"chopping," the "Speck" rolled from side to 
side fearfully. Mr. Goddard took charge of 






22 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

Annie: I would gladly have done so, but it 
would not have been safe, as I could not keep my 
footing, the ship was so unsteady. During the 
night, a groan from Mr. Goddard made us aware 
that he must be suffering great discomfort, and 
my husband called to him, — 

" Mr. Goddard, are you sea-sick? " 

" Yes, / am sea-sick I " he answered. 

Such an impatient, querulous tone, from such 
a good man ! We knew matters must be get- 
ting desperate, and Mr. Nevius insisted upon 
relieving him of the care of little Annie for the 
rest of the night. The poor child moaned and 
cried piteously, and it was indeed a very uncom- 
fortable time for us all. 

Owing to head winds and a very rough sea, 
we were three or four days in reaching Chinhai, 
which lies at the mouth of the Ningpo River. 
The scenery there is beautiful. High hills on 
either side, with the walled city near the water, 
and numerous junks at anchor, appeared in the 
light of the setting sun that Sabbath evening, 
when we first saw them, even more lovely than 
they really are. 

As the " Speck " could not get up to the city 
that night, we went in a small boat, sculled by 
a man standing on a platform in the stern. It 






VOYAGE TO AND ARRIVAL IN CHINA. 23 

was late in the evening before we reached Ningpo. 
We saw none of the ladies of our mission that 
night, with the exception of Mrs. Rankin, our 
kind hostess. Mr. Rankin was the only one of 
all the circle whom I had met before. He had 
visited at mj father's house some years previous, 
when I was but a child. 



24 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



CHAPTER II. 

NINGPO. — MISSIONARY WORK COMMENCED. 

Ningpo Fu, that is, " City of the Peaceful 
Wave," is in longitude 121° 22'. Its latitude, 
29° 35', is about that of New Orleans. It is a 
large and important place, with three hundred 
thousand or more inhabitants. It is surrounded 
by a substantially built stone wall, twenty feet 
in height, fifteen in width at the top, and twenty 
at its base, which is in pretty good repair, though 
very ancient, and in many parts overgrown with 
moss and plants. I do not think there is any- 
thing in China more interesting than these ven- 
erable city walls. That at Ningpo has a high 
parapet, with embrasures ; and the top of the wall 
inside the parapet is a tolerably good paved 
road either for walking or riding. Near each 
city gate is a long and easy flight of steps, which 
can be ascended by horses as well as persons. 
Prom the wall you have an extensive view of 
the river and plain, the former filled with junks 



NINGPO. 25 

and other smaller craft, and the latter cut up 
with canals intersecting each other in every 
direction. 

" The plain in which Ningpo lies is a magnifi- 
cent amphitheatre, stretching away from twelve 
to eighteen miles, on one side to the base of the 
distant hills, and on the other to the verge of the 
ocean. As the eye travels along, it catches 
many a pleasing object. Turn landward, it will 
see canals and water-courses, fields and snug 
farm-houses, family residences, hamlets, and vil- 
lages, family tombs, monasteries, and temples. 
Turn in the opposite direction, and you perceive 
a low, flat country, but little elevated above the 
level of the ocean ; but the river, alive with all 
kinds of boats, and the banks studded with ice- 
houses, most of all attract the attention. From 
without the city, and while still upon the ram- 
parts, look within its walls, and you will be no 
less gratified. Here there is nothing European, 
— little to remind you of what you have seen in 
the West. The single-storied and double-storied 
houses, the heavy, prison-like family mansions, 
the glittering roofs of the temples, the dilapi- 
dated official residences, the deserted literary and 
examination halls, and the sombre Tower of 
Ningpo, are entirely Chinese. The attention is 



26 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

also arrested by ditches, canals, and reservoirs 
of water, with their wooden bridges and stone 
arches." 

The above extract from Milne gives a very 
life-like and correct picture of Ningpo and the 
country about it. The streets of the city vary 
in width from four to ten, and possibly in some 
places to fifteen feet. They are well paved, and 
are spanned by frequent ornamental stone gate- 
ways, or arches, which have been erected to com- 
memorate the virtues of noted persons of former 
generations. 

The Ningpo plain is devoted to rice culture. 
It is irrigated by artificial means from the canals, 
and at certain seasons is almost covered with 
water. Vegetation is rank and luxuriant; 
and, as might be expected, there is so much 
malaria in the atmosphere as to make it very un- 
healthy both for foreigners and natives. 

The Presbyterian mission-houses are in a 
suburb on the north bank of one of the two 
streams which here unite to form the Tatsieh, or 
Ningpo River, as we are more apt to call it. In 
one compound there were three houses occupied 
at the time of our arrival by Mr. Way, Dr. 
McCartee, and Mr. Rankin. A little chapel 
stands just north of Mr. Rankin's house, one 



MISSIONARY WORK COMMENCED. 27 

part of which, next to the chapel, is occupied by 
the girls' boarding-school. The boys' school 
and Mr. S. Martin's house were somewhat re- 
moved towards the north gate. Mr. William 
Martin occupied a house which adjoined our 
large church in the city. Mr. Quarterman, the 
only remaining member of the mission, boarded 
with his brother and sister, Mr. and Mrs. Way. 
Mr. and Mrs. Knowlton, American Baptists, lived 
just opposite us, close under the city wall, while 
the dwellings of Dr. McGowan and Mr. Lord, 
members of the same mission, were on the city 
side, some distance up the river. The other 
missionaries all resided within the walls. 

There was at Ningpo, at that time, a small 
but growing mercantile community. Nearly all 
foreigners lived in houses constructed after 
western models, and better adapted than those 
of the natives to secure a free circulation of air 
and protection from the heat. Those of our mis- 
sion had been built with reference to economy, 
rather than durability or comfort, and were, 
consequently, in frequent need of repairs and 
changes. 

The Presbyterian Mission at Ningpo had been 
commenced about ten years before our arrival. 
Dr. McCartee was the pioneer. He was joined 



28 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

in a few weeks by Rev. Mr. Way and Mrs. Way ; 

and a few months later the mission was further 
strengthened by the accession of Rev. Messrs. 
Culbertson and Loomis, and their wives, and Rev 
Walter Lowrie. The latter was one of the first 
missionaries sent by the Presbyterian Board to 
China, but he had been detained for two years in 
the southern ports, before finally coming to live 
in Ningpo. His memoir, edited by his father, 
the Hon. Walter Lowrie, contains most interest- 
ing accounts of his voyage to China, his arrival 
there, various journeyings by sea, where he was 
several times in great peril, and, finally, of his 
sad death at the hands of pirates. 

Mr. Lowrie had been absent for a time in 
Shanghai, engaged with Dr. Bridgeman, Dr. 
(since Bishop) Boone, and two or three English 
missionaries, upon a translation of the Sacred 
Scriptures. He was obliged to return to Ningpo 
on business connected with the mission. As he 
was crossing the Hangchow Bay from Chapoo 
his boat was attacked by pirates. They sprang 
on board with spears and swords, striking down 
all who attempted to resist them. Mr. Lowrie 
seems to have remained throughout wonderfully 
calm and self-possessed. Unable to bear the 
sight of the cruelty shown to the poor Chinese 






MISSIONARY WORK COMMENCED. 29 

passengers and boatmen, he left the cabin and sat 
at the bow of the boat. It is supposed that the 
pirates feared that, should they spare his life, 
he might bring them to punishment by reporting 
them to the- authorities. Whatever their motive 
may have been, they discussed for a moment 
whether it would be better to kill him at once, 
or throw him alive into the sea. Deciding upon 
the latter course, two men approached and en- 
deavored to effect their purpose. Being unable 
to accomplish it, a third came to their assistance. 
With great presence of mind, Mr. Lowrie re- 
moved his shoes, and evidently hoped to save his 
life by swimming. As they were in the act of 
casting him into the sea, he turned and tossed 
his little Bible, which he had until now retained 
in his grasp, upon the deck behind him. He had 
been seen reading it a few moments before. 
What words of comfort, I wonder, had that pre- 
cious book afforded him in this hour of danger and 
death ! Perhaps, " Whosoever loseth his life for 
my sake and the gospel's, shall save it; " or, 
" Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death 
of his saints." Some sweet message of comfort 
and love, we may be sure, was sent him in that 
time of need. He swam several times towards 
the boat, but one of the pirates stood ready with 



30 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

a spear to prevent his approach. Seeing this, he 
turned away, and soon sank beneath the waves. 
His devoted and attached Chinese servant, who 
had been terribly beaten by the pirates, succeed- 
ed in reaching Ningpo ; and from him was learned 
all that is known of the last hours and death of 
Walter Lowrie. 

In the spring of 1854 the work of the vari- 
ous members of our mission was, as nearly as I 
can remember, as follows : Dr. McCartee had 
charge of a dispensary, and was also engaged in 
other departments of mission work. Mr. Way 
superintended the press, Mr. S. Martin had the 
boys' boarding-school, and Mr. and Mrs. Rankin 
the girls' boarding-school. Mr. William Mar- 
tin, I believe, gave himself more particularly to 
book-making and literary labors, for which he 
was peculiarly fitted. All the gentlemen de- 
voted more or less time to preaching. Very 
few ladies at Ningpo paid much attention to the 
written language, — a knowledge of the vernacu- 
lar being fully sufficient for conducting their mis- 
sionary labors either in the schools or among 
the native women. 

We had only been at Ningpo a few days before 
we settled down to the study of the spoken lan- 
guage. We were fortunate in securing, at once. 



MISSIONARY WORK COMMENCED. 31 

the services of an excellent teacher ; which made 
this employment more pleasant, and our progress 
more rapid than it could otherwise have been. Mr. 
Du, or Du sin-sang, that is, Teacher Du, was 
not an accomplished Chinese scholar ; but he an- 
swered our purpose none the worse for that. 
Previous to our going to Ningpo, the spoken 
language had been reduced to writing, by the use 
of the Roman letters. Our first work was to ac- 
quire the sounds of the language as expressed by 
this Romanized system, — neither a very long 
nor disagreeable task. From the first, I pre- 
ferred learning the language from my teacher's 
lips, rather than from books. Even had we been 
supplied with grammars and dictionaries, of 
which, in the Ningpo dialect, there were none, I 
should probably have made but little use of 
them. • 

It was not many weeks before my husband and 
I were able to talk a little with our teacher and 
the servants ; and we became so interested and 
absorbed in the study as to enjoy it greatly. 
But then came on the warm, debilitating weather 
of summer, which we found exceedingly trying. 
It was impossible to go out to exercise after the 
sun was well up ; so we attempted the plan of 
rising very early, and exercising at that time. 



32 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

Behind our mission houses are paddy-fields, 
with only narrow foot-paths between them. 
Walking in that direction was too disagreeable, 
besides being very unhealthy; so we tried the city 
wall. Crossing the river at what is called the 
Salt Gate Ferry, we entered the city, and, as- 
cending the wall from within, found a walk as 
quiet and retired as we could wish. It would 
have been truly pleasant had not the weather 
been so oppressive, and had our strength been 
greater. Ah, there was the trouble ! Almost 
before we were aware, the effects of a first sum- 
mer in a most trying climate had told upon us 
both. I became too weak to walk, and then my 
indefatigable husband procured some Chinese 
ponies ; for I could " never get strong," he said, 
"without exercise." Oh, those miserable ani- 
^nals ! Even after this lapse of years, I think I 
can see them, kicking and springing, running 
hither and thither, utterly regardless of my feeble 
efforts at control. It was not many weeks before 
we concluded that early morning exercise at 
Ningpo was more injurious than beneficial. 

At the end of eight or nine months of hard 
study my husband was able to engage in chapel 
work, — more, however, in a conversational way 
than by formal preaching. In a little more than 



MISSIONARY WORK COMMENCED. 33 

a year he took part with others in missionary 
work in general, teaching and preaching as cir- 
cumstances required. 

I find, on reference to my journal, that, before 
the close of the year 1854, 1 had commenced the 
work of visiting among the women in their own 
homes, and I had the satisfaction of finding my- 
self understood ; though, of course, my vocabu- 
lary must have been limited. As a general 
thing in these visits, I was very kindly received, 
and listened to with attention. This was not 
always the case, and my patience was sometimes 
sorely tried. I had gone on one occasion with 
Miss Dyer to visit a family in some way con- 
nected with one of the native church members. 
A slight degree of familiarity with foreigners 
may have made them less deferential and respect- 
ful than they would otherwise have been. Miss 
Dyer, as an older resident, was the principal 
speaker. There were four women present, and 
about a dozen children, some crying, some play- 
ing ; and this confusion reached a climax, when 
one of the women in an adjoining room caught a 
rat, and brought it in where we were sitting. 
After holding it with the tongs for a while, she 
tied a string to its leg, and kept it performing 
sundry evolutions upon a table. We soon left. 
3 



34 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

feeling that we had made a complete failure. As 
this was one of my first visits among the women, 
such a result I felt to be very disheartening. 

Another day, at about the same date, taking 
with me my ah-m (the name in Ningpo for a 
female servant), I started out to visit in a differ- 
ent neighborhood. We first went to see my 
ah-m's mother-in-law. The old woman was 
very ill; and, after conversing with her for a 
short time, we went to a neighboring house, 
where I had at least twenty women and children 
to hear me. The tax upon my voice in speaking 
to so many was very great ; but I was much en- 
couraged to find myself well understood, and able 
to command their attention. 

A week later I visited the same places. I did 
not think the circumstances quite so favorable, 
and for some reason I spoke less freely. But my 
ah-m was sure I was understood. I found the 
old woman mentioned above very weak and able 
to speak but little; but she said, the doctrine 
was good, and she believed in Jesus. This was 
but a day or two before her death. Possibly 
some ray of light had penetrated her darkened 
mind, and Jesus may have revealed himself 
to her before he called her hence. At least, 
it cannot be wrong to hope that such was 






MISSIONARY WORK COMMENCED. 35 

the case. We had just started for home, when 
a man invited us to go to his house and teach, 
literally, "talk the doctrine." Thinking I 
might not have another so favorable opportu- 
nity, we went back and had a pleasant visit. 
They invited us very cordially to come again. 

These incidents are given merely as specimens 
of this kind of work. The visits here referred 
to were all among the poorer classes ; but our 
attention was not confined to them. As oppor- 
tunities offered, and other duties would allow, 
I made an effort to reach the women in the 
more respectable and influential families. Here, 
too, I was almost always received very politely, 
and listened to with attention, and cordially in- 
vited to repeat my visits. The other ladies in 
the Presbyterian Mission, and in the others as 
well, were also in the habit of visiting more or 
less among the women. I mention my own ex- 
periences only because they are all with which I 
am familiar. 

The girls' boarding-school, at the time of our 
going to Ningpo, was in charge of Mr. and Mrs. 
Kankin ; but Mrs. McCartee came every day to 
teach in it. 

Much of the time, both of missionary ladies 
and gentlemen, was taken up in entertaining 



36 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

Chinese guests ; though, en account of our some- 
what isolated situation on North Bank, we had 
fewer of such interruptions than they who lived 
within the city ; not, indeed, as many as we de- 
sired. One old woman, with whom I frequently 
exchanged visits, was the type of a numerous 
class in China. She was a strict religionist, and 
as perfect a Pharisee as I ever met. She was so 
complacent and self-satisfied that it seemed im- 
possible to make any impression upon her. She 
had fasted from animal food for eighteen years ; 
had spent much time and money in worshipping 
in the temples ; and in various ways had accumu- 
lated a great store of merit for the future world. 

I remember on one occasion when she was visit- 
ing me, we were talking of sin, of the evil of our 
own natures, etc. "No, no!" she exclaimed, 

I I my heart is not sinful. It is perfectly pure and 
clean, — as white as the snow. You may ask my 
neighbors if I have ever done anything wrong." 
Speaking of the transmigration of souls, she 
said, " That must be so, or where would all 
the people constantly being born into the world 
get their souls from?" The case of this old 
woman was most distressing. Months after this, 
when I went to see her, I found her very ill. 
She was scarcely able to sit up, yet was engaged 






MISSIONARY WORK COMMENCED. 37 

in the idolatrous practice of " feeding the hun- 
gry spirits, or demons." When I made some al- 
lusion to the spread table and burning candles, 
she remarked, very coldly, "You have your 
customs, and we have ours." While I was in 
her room she set fire to an urn of tinsel paper, 
made into representations of silver ingots. In 
this way it is supposed to be converted ■ into the 
money currency used in the world of spirits. . I 
think her object in burning it in my presence was 
to show her indifference to me and to our holy 
religion. I visited her not long after, when she 
was upon her dying-bed. Her mind was dark, and 
her body racked with pain. I spoke to her of 
Jesus, and again urged her to put her trust in 
him. " If Jesus will restore me to health, then 
I will believe in him," was her only answer. I 
never saw her again. 

During my second year, I had a number of 
women who came to me on Sabbath afternoons. 
They were mostly from the neighborhood. I 
tried to teach them faithfully ; but I never had 
the pleasure of knowing that they were benefited 
by it. Other ladies in Ningpo had similar 
classes. Of late years, and since I left Ningpo, 
a plan has been adopted of gathering large num- 
bers of women together in industrial classes, giv- 



38 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

ing them work and religious instruction at the 
same time. I believe they have been very suc- 
cessful. They were commenced by Mrs. Morri- 
son, of our mission, assisted by some of the native 
Christian women. 

Among the many pleasant memories of those 
early days in Ningpo, one of the sweetest will 
always be connected with Mrs. Gough, of the 
English Church Mission. I think she was con- 
sidered by all who knew her an almost fault- 
less character. She was a most earnest worker. 
I remember that at one time she was connected 
with three different schools, giving some time 
daily to each. The climate of Ningpo proved 
very trying to her health ; and, before many years 
had passed, she was obliged to return to her 
native land. She lived to reach London, but died 
very soon after. Though thus early called to her 
rest, she had not lived in vain. The influence of 
her lovely spirit and example will long remain 
with those who knew her. 

Mrs. Knowlton, of the Baptist Mission, who 
with her husband reached Ningpo only a few 
weeks after we did, early commenced her labors 
among the women of her own church, and others. 
Through all these years, though suffering from 
constant physical weakness, and frequent ill- 






MISSIONARY WORK COMMENCED. 39 

nesses, she has been working on bravely, a de- 
voted helper to her laborious and self-denying 
husband. 

When I look back to our early life in Ningpo, 
I feel that we were indeed privileged, to have 
been associated with such a noble band of men 
and women. Besides our two American Mis- 
sions, the Presbyterian and Baptist, there were 
several most excellent members of the Church of 
England, and also of other denominations. It 
was truly pleasant to see the general harmony 
and affection which existed among all these. We 
met constantly in prayer-meetings, and socially ; 
and pulpits were sometimes exchanged. I do 
not mean to say that any of us did not feel oc- 
casionally troubled at not being able to see "eye 
to eye" in some matters which to us seemed im- 
portant; but it was generally agreed to leave 
those disputed points undisturbed. We felt that 
we were truly one in all essentials, and, surround- 
ed as we were by the darkness of heathenism, 
differences of church government, or forms of 
worship, or even some slight variations in doc- 
trine, were realized to be comparatively unim- 
portant. We had too much work to do to be 
able to spend our time contending for trifles. 

When I had been six months in Ningpo, 1 



40 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

commenced teaching singing to the pupils in oui 
two boarding-schools. There were, I think, 
about forty boys and thirty girls ; and these, to- 
gether with some others, assembled twice a week 
in the chapel. I had a black-board made with 
lines for writing music, which was of great as- 
sistance, as we had no music-books. The first 
step in this formidable undertaking was to get 
them to make one sound in unison. After ex- 
plaining the matter, I said to them, " Now listen 
attentively to me, and then make the same sound 
precisely." They tried to obey; but some were 
one, some three, and some four or five notes 
astray ; probably every tone and half-tone in the 
octave had its representative. "Very well," 
said I ; " but I think you can improve on that." 
Then I made a high tone and a low one, to show 
them the difference, and again explained that 
what I wished was that they should as nearly 
as possible imitate me. Again I sounded " Do," 
prolonging the sound that they might more 
easily catch it. Again they essayed, and this 
time with much better success; for I do not 
think the voices ranged over more than five or 
six tones. Nearly the whole two hours were 
spent in the attempt to make one sound in uni- 
son. At our next meeting we succeeded in 



MISSIONARY WORK COMMENCED. 41 

making the one sound quite accurately, and then 
added a second, — do-re, do-re, re-do, re-do, — we 
said or sang, until our patience was exhausted ; 
and then added a third. When they had gained 
an idea of what was meant by tones and inter- 
vals, I wrote the notes on the black-board. 

The Chinese learn to read notes very readily, 
and I am persuaded that the most practicable 
method for teaching them a foreign system of 
music is that which I was led to adopt. For 
the first three months we did little else but 
practise the scale, which they at length so com- 
pletely mastered as to be able to strike accu- 
rately, and without assistance, not only the natural 
intervals, but every other ; as, for instance, from 
one to four, one to seven, and vice versa. I 
gave them simple exercises written on the black- 
board ; and when some of the airs I had known 
from infancy were reproduced, from Chinese lips, 
with correctness of time and a good degree of 
melody, I felt much gratified, and very hopeful 
for the future. I did not confine them to singing 
the usual do-re-me, etc., but early substituted a 
single syllable, and from that again we easily slid 
into words. I divided the class into different sets 
for the different parts, so soon as I had discovered 
to which the voices were naturally adapted; and 



42 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

in the course of six or eight months had a good 
choir, capable of carrying all four parts, soprano, 
alto, tenor, and bass ; and the accuracy with which 
they sang, considering, of course, all the circum- 
stances, was most remarkable. From the first, 
I taught them to " beat time," and they became 
so accustomed to the practice, that even when 
singing by themselves, just for their own amuse- 
ment, I used to notice them going through the 
motions ; not as I had intended, with a slight 
movement of the hand, but with the whole arm 
below the elbow, down, up ; down, left, right, up, 
as the measure happened to be. 

Never forgetting that the main object in 
teaching them was to enable them to praise God 
in the sanctuary, as soon as I thought they 
were equal to it they learned church tunes. 
One of the first of these was a plaintive old air, 
which I had always loved, called, in America, 
" Bartimeus," and usually sung to the words 
commencing " Mercy, thou Son of David ! " 
We had in Ningpo a translation of that hymn, 
and it used to bring tears to my eyes as I listened 
to my Chinese singing it. Another tune was 
Lenox, which, as the four parts come in with a 
good deal of irregularity, was quite a trial of 
skill. 






MISSIONARY WORK COMMENCED. 



43 



I cannot say that I think our style of music 
is exactly suited to the Chinese language or 
poetry; but, in the absence of anything better, it 
has been a source of much pleasure and profit to 
those who have acquired it. 

I may add that the native men and women, 
who are now at the head of our out-stations at 
Ningpo, were many of them members of my 
singing-class ; and they are now teaching the con- 
verts connected with the churches which they 
are gathering from the heathen, much in the 
same way in which I taught them. 

Since we have been in the United States, Rev. 
Kying Ling-yiu sent me a kind message in a let- 
ter to my husband. "Tell Mrs. Nevius," he 
said, " that she is still teaching music in China, 
through us. I am teaching our men, and my 
wife the women." 






44 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



CHAPTER in. 

POOTOO. — GLANCE AT THE RELIGIONS OF CHINA. 

At the beginning of the year 1856, I met a 
new and most unexpected trial. My voice, 
which before had been strong and reliable, gave 
way ; and for many months I could neither sing 
nor speak aloud. My general health also be- 
came so much impaired, that at length my kind 
physician, Dr. Parker, gave it as his opinion that 
my only hope of restoration lay in a temporary 
return to my native land. What this involved 
can only be appreciated by those who have been 
similarly situated. 

During that year of ill health almost all mis- 
sionary work, on my part, had to be discontinued. 
Hoping to derive benefit from the purer air of 
the country, several weeks in the early spring 
were spent among the hills, twenty or more 
miles from Ningpo, at Tien-dong, a Buddhist 
temple and monastery. We occupied two small 
rooms in one of the back courts, Mr. Nevius 



pootoo. 45 

spent part of his time in Ningpo ; and Mr. S. 
Martin, who was also sojourning for a few 
weeks at Tien-dong, was occasionally absent ; so 
that I was sometimes quite alone, with the ex- 
ception of my Chinese woman and a man-servant. 
But so quiet and respectful were the monks, of 
whom there were a large number, that I felt in 
no danger ; and, except for the intense loneliness 
of the place, should have enjoyed my stay there. 

On one of my husband's returns from Ning- 
po he brought me a present of a beautiful brown 
pony, — horseback exercise having been recom- 
mended for my health. This pony was a real 
comfort and pleasure, and we made much use of 
him up to the time of my leaving for the United 
States, when he was purchased by the Knowl- 
tons. Mrs. Knowlton rode him for years in 
going to and from the chapel where she went to 
meet her school children, or female inquirers. 

In the second and third summers of our Chi- 
nese life we spent a short time on the island of 
Pootoo, in the Chusan Archipelago, situated 
about seventy miles from the main-land. It had 
the advantage of pure sea air and freedom from 
malaria, which makes Ningpo and Shanghai,, in 
summer time, exceedingly unhealthy. Pootoo 
is devoted exclusively to the Buddhists ; having 



46 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

four large temples with monasteries attached, 
and not far from a hundred smaller ones. The 
number of priests is variously estimated from 
seven or eight hundred, to several thousands. 

I believe it is more than eight hundred years 
since this island was first devoted to religious 
purposes ; and some of the buildings were con- 
structed at that time. Others again are of much 
more recent date, but all, even the newest, have 
a dilapidated, faded appearance, which indicates 
a great falling off in resources, as well as in the 
devotion of the people generally to the Buddhist 
religion. 

Close to the landing is the " White Flowery 
Monastery," — to me, the least interesting of the 
many temples and monasteries on the island. A 
paved walk leads from it to the Sien-z, which oc- 
cupies a central position, and has been, in times 
past, a magnificent establishment. Arriving at 
the temple, you enter through a massive stone 
gateway. Some little distance at your left is 
another entrance, near which is an order carved 
in stone, to the effect that every equestrian 
on arriving at this place must invariably dis- 
mount. Whether or no I dismounted from my 
Brownie, I cannot remember; I presume, how- 
ever, I had left him standing without. In China 






pootoo. 47 

all persons are expected to walk when passing 
near gifts of royalty. Here the gift had been 
an immense marble tablet, from the celebrated 
Emperor Kang-Hi. It is preserved in an oc- 
tagonal pagoda, with a porcelain tiled roof. 
Adjoining this is a lotus pond, which, though not 
what it once was, is still very pretty. It is 
crossed by an arched stone bridge. There are 
numerous other buildings, — some used as temples 
for the idols, and some as sleeping places for the 
lazy, stupid priests, who doze away their lives in 
this pretty retreat. Had they a spark of energy 
or ambition, they would make some effort to 
rescue these buildings from the decay and ruin 
in which we now find them. 

Our rooms were not in the Sien-z, but at the 
Heo-z, about a mile further on. This is a very 
lovely place, though the buildings are dilapidated 
and unfit for residences. We secured a large 
room or loft, over the entrance to the monastery. 
The lower story was only partly enclosed, being 
used as an entrance and passage-way for persons 
going to and from the temple. On three sides 
of our large room were windows, looking tow- 
ards the sea, the Sien-z, and the Heo-z, of the 
latter of which our building formed part. At 
one side was a beautiful grove of pine and cam- 



48 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

phor trees, and close behind rose the highest hill 
on the island, — a mountain it seemed to us after 
leaving the flat plain of Ningpo. One reason 
for our coming to the Heo-z, rather than either 
of the other temples nearer the landing, was its 
proximity to a sandy beach which was a capital 
bathing-place. Some years before this, an Eng- 
lish chaplain had lost his life while bathing on 
this beach ; having ventured, I suppose, to an un- 
safe distance. Thus on our guard against possi- 
ble danger, we had many refreshing baths. As 
several other families from Ningpo were also at 
Pootoo, we planned some delightful picnics and 
rambles in company to various points of in- 
terest. 

During the summer, years ago, it was very 
customary for foreigners from Ningpo and 
Shanghai . to visit this island ; but of late such 
visits seem nearly discontinued. Since the 
opening of Japan, and of other parts of China, 
by the recent treaties, foreigners, in choosing 
summer resorts, have generally given the prefer- 
ence to places situated in more northern lati- 
tudes, or more accessible. 

The passage between Pootoo and the main 
land was not always safe, owing to the number 
of pirates who infest those quarters. We our- 









pootoo. 49 

selves never had the fortune to fall into their 
hands, though more than once we narrowly es- 
caped them. A few days after returning from 
our first visit to Pootoo, Mr. Russell of the 
English Church Mission, and Mr. Wm. Martin 
of our own, who were on their way from Ning- 
po, where they had been to procure provisions 
for their families, who were still on the island, 
were captured by a piratical fleet, consisting of 
fourteen vessels. A small boat from one of 
these came towards them, the men in it brandishing 
their weapons in a frightful manner. Of course 
resistance was useless. The robbers drew the 
foreigners' boat to the side of their own, and pro- 
ceeded to help themselves to everything in it. A 
globe lamp of Mr. Russell's they hung up in 
their captain's cabin. They demanded Mr. 
Russell's watch, and, having received it, asked him 
to teach them to wind it. They then asked for 
Mr. Martin's watch, and upon his assuring them 
that he had none, replied, " You certainly must 
have one ; every gentleman carries a watch." 
They had taken quite all their provisions, but, 
some one suggesting that the " white devils " 
might be hungry, returned a part ; and as our 
friends were about leaving, the captain presented 
them two pounds of tea, with his compliments. 
4 



50 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

These piratical gentlemen also had the assurance 
to promise their captives to pay their respects to 
them, whenever they should visit Ningpo. Mr. 
Russell and Mr. Martin finally reached Pootoo in 
safety, having been sent on shore in a small boat 
belonging to the pirates. I suspect they scarce- 
ly knew whether to be more amused or annoyed 
with their adventure ; though it was a narrow 
escape, and the losses they sustained were by no 
means trifling. By the way, I suppose that at 
the present time, and for many years past, a 
principal source of revenue to the Buddhists of 
Pootoo is derived from offerings made by pi- 
rates. After capturing some peaceful trading 
junks, and perhaps putting all on board to death, 
they repair to the island to offer up their thanks 
to their favorite deity, Kwan-yin, the goddess 
of mercy. 

I once supposed that Brahminism of India 
and Buddhism of China were nearly identical ; 
but that, I find, was a mistake. Buddhism was 
introduced into China from India, early in the 
first century of the Christian era, — ambassadors 
having been sent by the Emperor Ming-Te, to 
the West, in search of a new religion. There 
are different theories as to what induced this 
emperor to send such an embassy. I cannot 






BELIGIONS OF CHINA. 51 

but think that some glimmering ray from the 
star of Bethlehem had penetrated to distant 
China ; some faint echo of the angels' song, — 
" good tidings " — " peace on earth " — " good 
will to men." 

Buddhism was founded by Shakyamuni, an in- 
dividual of the royal caste in India, who lived, 
it is supposed, about nine hundred years before 
Christ. He gave up his life to reflection and 
contemplation, and to teaching his doctrines to 
his disciples. At the time of his death his re- 
ligion was already widely extended in India. 
Afterwards such persecutions arose from the 
Brahmins as drove the Buddhists quite out of 
the country. Brahminism seems thus to have 
been much the older of these two rival religions. 
The Buddhists are exceedingly tolerant, and many 
Hindoo deities are now incorporated with their 
own. Shaky amuni was greatly revered by his 
numerous disciples, and after his death anything 
which had once belonged to him, as one of his 
teeth, or a lock of his hair, was considered a 
sacred relic, and an object of worship. It is said 
that for the preservation of these relics, pagodas 
were first erected. Now, however, they are 
often made merely for ornament, or to secure the 
propitious influences supposed to emanate from 



52 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

them, or as tombs for celebrated individuals of 
the Buddhist order. 

Having visited numbers of Buddhist temples, 
in fact, having lived for weeks in different ones, 
I surely ought to be able to describe them. Yet 
I really am afraid to attempt it. They vary 
somewhat in different parts of the country, both 
in size and style of the buildings. They are 
usually made of well-burnt bricks ; their sloping 
tiled roofs, which are often ornamented by gro- 
tesque carved images of lions and dragons, are 
supported by immense wooden pillars. There 
are usually at least three large halls separated 
from each other by paved courts. Entering the 
first building, one sees an image of Buddha, sit- 
ting like a tailor at work, and with a sardonic 
smile upon its countenance, apparently gazing 
out upon the follies and vanities of the world. 
It is made of wood and plaster, and is usually 
covered with gilt. Not far from this is a mili- 
tary character, grasping a sword or some other 
warlike implement. This is the guardian of the 
temple. There are several other large images 
in this outer hall ; but I will not speak of them at 
length. The second building is usually the 
finest of all, being sometimes nearly a hundred 
feet wide, more than fifty deep, and high in 









RELIGIONS OF CHINA. 53 

proportion. The principal idols are three large 
gilt figures, representing the past, present, and 
future Buddhas. They stand in the most prom- 
inent place, and, like the images I have already 
described, are in a sitting posture, and are con- 
structed in the same way. They are often at 
least twenty feet in height. On the two sides of 
this building are eighteen images of persons 
supposed to have been absorbed into Veh, that 
is, Buddha. If it were not too sad, it would be 
amusing to notice the peculiarities of these vari- 
ous figures. They are represented in all sorts 
of attitudes, and there seems to have been an 
attempt to depict almost every conceivable pas- 
sion in their distorted countenances. Occasion- 
ally, however, you meet with one too benevolent 
and pleasing to be found in such bad company. 
In this second hall is generally seen an image of 
Kwan-shi-yin, — a favorite deity with the female 
votaries of this sect. She is supposed to confer 
children, especially sons, and many are the 
prayers and offerings at her shrine. I have seen 
some images of this goddess which were almost 
beautiful. She is usually represented with an 
infant in her arms, and one cannot but be struck 
by the resemblance she thus presents to our 
Western representations of the Madonna and 



54 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

child. The back buildings generally have 
smaller images, and the number of these is so 
great, that I shall not attempt even to enumer- 
ate them. On the sides of the courts are small 
rooms, in which are frequently portrayed the 
Buddhist ideas of hell; poor lost souls, undergoing 
every imaginable torment. Some are being 
ground between grindstones; some thrown off 
precipices ; and others, again, are represented as 
in various stages of transformation into animals 
of the lower order ; for instance, a man with a 
wolf's head, or a wretched donkey with the face 
of a man. Most of these temples are monasteries 
as well, and many of the smaller rooms are the 
sleeping apartments of the monks. I must not 
neglect to mention the dining-room and kitchen. 
These are the most comfortable apartments in 
the whole establishment. In the kitchen are 
sometimes seen immense iron kettles holding two 
or three barrels, which are used for boiling rice, 
when the temple is thronged with worshippers. 
Various conveniences for cooking, and an abun- 
dant supply of food, show that these devout indi- 
viduals are not yet insensible to all sublunary 
pleasures, even though they may.be on the road 
to the attainment of that blissful state. The 
dining-room contains long, narrow tables, and 



RELIGIONS OP CHINA. 55 

seats sufficient to accommodate several hundred 
guests. 

I must give these Buddhist priests, for whom 
I confess I feel but little love or sympathy, the 
credit of showing great taste in the selection of 
the sites for their establishments. They are, 
when in the country, found in most romantic and 
sequestered spots ; and even in the cities, they 
are sometimes almost concealed by noble trees 
and shrubbery. Beautiful avenues of bamboo 
and pine often lead to these Buddhist temples, 
some of them extending even for miles from the 
entrance. Frequently, tall old trees, artificial 
cascades, fine arched bridges, lakes, and miniature 
ponds, unite to form a scene of beauty not often 
surpassed in more civilized lands ; and, as many 
of these temples are hundreds of years old, the 
charm of antiquity is also not wanting. 

Women in China, as elsewhere, are more re- 
ligiously disposed than are men, and constitute, by 
far, the larger proportion of worshippers usually 
seen in Buddhist temples. Most of them are 
somewhat advanced in years. The more active 
duties and enjoyments of life are past, and the 
future, with its dread uncertainties, forces itself 
upon their attention. " How shall I prepare for 
death, and the unknown hereafter ?" is their 






56 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

anxious inquiry. They have never heard of the 
Saviour, or of heaven ; but they have a sense of 
sin, and a felt want of something to rest upon 
when earthly supports and pleasures shall fail 
them. It is not strange, then, that they resort 
to their idol temples, and make use of the vari- 
ous methods for securing those longed-for bless- 
ings which their own false religions present. 
Let us rather pity than blame them. 

One of the most common sights in China 
is that of women going either in groups or 
singly to the temples. They usually carry a lit- 
tle basket containing incense-sticks and candles. 
On reaching her destination, the worshipper 
at once lights both candles and incense, and 
places them either in front of some one particu- 
lar image, or, as is more often the case, before 
several. This duty performed, she returns to 
her starting-place, and commences her prostra- 
tions. Folding her hands before her, she first 
makes a profound bow ; she then kneels upon a 
cushion placed for the purpose, and, bending 
slowly forward, strikes her forehead upon it, 01 
upon the floor or ground. This act is usually 
repeated at least three times before each idol, 
and sometimes much oftener. After this she 
goes to a priest and buys a paper upon which is 



RELIGIONS OF CHINA. 57 

a picture of Buddha. The worshipper's name is 
written upon it, together with the year, month, 
day, and hour of her birth. It also contains 
an assurance of happiness in a future state. 
This paper is at first of little importance, but 
after the name of Buddha has been chanted over 
it a great number of times, its value becomes in- 
estimable. Having received it, the worshipper 
goes off by herself, and, either sitting or kneeling 
on a cushion, spends hours repeating as rapidly 
as her lips can form the words, " Na-mi O-mi-to 
Fuh ! Na-mi O-mi-to Fuh ! " — one of the names 
of Veh, or Buddha, — assisting her memory by 
means of a rosary, in the same way that the Ro- 
manists do. Sometimes, instead of remaining 
apart, the worshippers sit in rows, and they then 
often vary their employment by interchanging 
bits of gossip, congratulations, or condolences. 
When they are chanting together, as they some- 
times do, the sound is very peculiar ; it always 
seemed to me like the mournful whistling of the 
wind. But though a sad sight to a spectator 
who realizes its sin and folly, there is very sel* 
dom in this worship the least appearance of 
solemnity; you feel, rather, that it is a mere 
form. It is apparent that many resort to the 
temples chiefly for the sake of seeing and being 






58 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

seen ; and indeed it is not strange that closely 
secluded females should gladly embrace any ex- 
cuse for gaining a glimpse of new scenes and 
faces. Though Chinese women of the better 
classes are rarely seen in the streets or pub- 
lic places, you often meet them at the temples. 

There is another mode of worship which I 
think is practised only by a certain class of 
women, who consider themselves very religious. 
It is called " worshipping books. '' There are, I 
suspect, many " book worshippers " in Christian 
lands, — but none like these. Placing an open 
volume on the ground before her, the worshipper 
points with her finger to a character or letter, 
and then kneels and knocks her head on the 
cushion or ground, precisely as if she were before 
an idol. The books thus used are certain Budd- 
hist works which are thought to be peculiarly 
sacred ; but, of the meaning of the characters, 
the woman is totally ignorant. As she goes 
through the same performance with each separate 
character, it is slow work, and wearisome too. 
The merit accruing from it is consequently great, 
and a more conceited, self-complacent class of 
persons I have never met. 

There are nunneries, as well as monasteries, 
connected with the Buddhist religion. As far as 



RELIGIONS OF CHINA. 59 

I have known them, the nuns have not been a 
good or interesting class of women ; but to this, 
perhaps, there may be honorable exceptions. 
The " sisters " are taught to read, and, I should 
think, are as well educated as the priests. 
Infants and young children are bought and 
reared by the-" sisters," and it is principally in 
this way that the succession is kept up. Some- 
times, however, females feeling that they have 
" a vocation" voluntarily devote themselves to 
this life, and others embrace it for the simple 
reason that it affords them a livelihood. It is 
almost impossible to distinguish the nuns from 
the monks, for they wear about the same kind of 
garments, have also unbound feet, the same heavy 
shoes, and their heads are shaven in just the same 
fashion. Connected with every nunnery is a 
"lady abbess," to whom the other nuns are 
obliged to yield obedience. In such establish- 
ments there is always a hall containing idols ; but 
these are usually neither numerous nor large. 

I have never heard of the Chinese professing 
to feel any love for their gods. They pray to 
them, and pay them external honors, because 
they have an end to gain, or because they fear 
them. It seems to me that in most cases they 
have so little faith in them that they awaken 



60 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

neither love nor fear. But if they are guilty of 
insincerity in the worship of their gods, no such 
insincerity attaches itself to their worship of de- 
mons and spirits generally. These they fear 
beyond measure, and every artifice is made use 
of either to propitiate or frighten them. But I 
cannot enter upon this subject, which has been 
treated of at length by Mr. Nevius, in his 
" China and the Chinese," and in other works on 
China. I shall be glad, indeed, if anything I 
have said has awakened sufficient interest in any 
one to induce him to continue a study which is 
of such importance in understanding the true 
condition of the Chinese. 

No one can be even partially acquainted with 
the Buddhist religion, without being struck by its 
similarity to Romanism. Celibacy of the priests 
and nuns, fasts, the use of the rosary, reciting 
masses for the dead, burning candles and incense, 
are only a few of the points of coincidence. 

There is another sect in China, which in some 
respects resembles the Buddhist; in others again is 
very different. I refer to Tauism. It was found- 
ed about six hundred years before Christ, by the 
philosopher Lao-ts. It is said that on one oc- 
casion Lao-ts and Confucius met, and conversed 
together ; but their characters and doctrines were 



RELIGIONS OF CHINA. 61 

very dissimilar, and there seems to have been no 
affection existing between them. It is thought 
that at first the Tauists were not idolaters, but 
that this feature of their religion was adopted 
from the Buddhists. Theoretically, the Tauist 
religion is much more philosophic and transcen- 
dental than Buddhism, but as practised, they are 
very similar. To a superficial view, Buddhist 
and Tauist temples seem nearly alike; but, upon 
examination, they are found to have marked 
differences. The images are usually smaller, 
and less costly, but they are very numerous. 
There are the god of the sea, of the rivers, of the 
hills, of the stars ; the god of thunder, the god of 
lightning, and hosts of others. In this system, 
much importance is given to astrology and al- 
chemy. 

The chief ambition of the Tauists is to become 
Sien-jin ; but what these Sien-jin are, they them- 
selves have but a very confused idea. They 
seem to be ethereal, fairy-like creatures, dwelling 
at their pleasure either among men, or in a far- 
off and beautiful abode, the sacred mountains. 
There is a book in China which contains a his- 
tory of several hundreds of them. The rules 
given for the attainment of that marvellous state 
of purity and blessedness are inconceivably ab- 



62 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

surd. The devotee must go through certain bodi- 
ly exercises which I do not understand sufficient- 
ly well to attempt to describe. He must also 
prepare and eat a mysterious kind of food called 
Elixir of Life. Others again think it is possible 
to become Sien-jin, through the aid of evil spirits 
and magic. The stories of ghosts, and fairies, 
and genii, both good and bad, which are circulat- 
ed in China, excel all the vagaries of the Ara- 
bian Nights, or the nursery tales ever invented 
in Western lands. 

The mode of worship practised in Tauist tem- 
ples, resembles that of the Buddhists, but the ob- 
jects to be attained are different. As the gods of 
war, of riches, of longevity, of medicine, and the 
like, belong to the Tauist sect, so the prayers 
offered at their shrines are naturally for such 
blessings as they are supposed to confer. There is 
a class of Tauist priests who are allowed to mar- 
ry. They dwell with their families within the 
temple enclosure. But the straiter sort affect 
to despise all the social relations, and with 
some exceptions resemble the Buddhists both in 
their mode of dress and way of living. Budd- 
hists shave the whole head, while Tauists leave 
the hair long at the sides, curling it in a very un- 
graceful way on top, where it is kept in place 



RELIGIONS OF CHINA. 63 

by a large hair-pin. They both wear long loose 
robes ; but they are of different colors, so that 
they are easily distinguished at a glance. 

The Tauist religion is patronized by the gov- 
ernment, and the Mandarins are obliged, on cer- 
tain occasions, to repair to the temples of the 
gods of the city, and of war, and others, to go 
through a form of worship. On New Year's 
day I have been to the Cheng-hwang-miao in 
Ningpo, when the temple was crowded with 
officers and gentlemen making prostrations be- 
fore the idols, while the smoke from the burning 
incense was almost stifling. 

I had no intention of indulging in a disserta- 
tion upon the religions of China ; though it is a 
subject in which I feel a deep interest. But 
having said so much about Buddhism and Tauism, 
I must make some slight mention of Confucian- 
ism, the pride of the Chinese. It seems scarcely 
more proper to call a Chinaman's devotion to 
Confucius a religion, than it would to give that 
name to the intense love of science and litera- 
ture, and the court paid to scientific and literary 
men, by so many of the educated classes in our 
own country. In both instances there is danger 
of such inordinate admiration becoming idola- 
trous; and in China that disposition is not 



64 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



checked. On the contrary, the more implicitly 
a Chinese scholar yields himself to his devotion 
to his great master, the better satisfied he is with 
himself. 

Confucius was born in the province of Shang- 
tung, about six hundred years before Christ. 
When it is remembered that he received no aid 
from the light of revelation, his teachings must 
be regarded by every candid person as most re- 
markable. He laid great stress upon the five 
virtues, " benevolence, uprightness, politeness, 
knowledge, and faithfulness." Also upon the 
duties growing out of the reciprocal relations of 
prince and subject, parent and child, husband 
and wife. The most remarkable of all his pre- 
cepts, as far as I know them, is that near ap- 
proach to the " golden rule," "Do not to others 
what you would not have others do to you." 

Confucius frankly confessed his inability to 
enlighten his countrymen upon strictly religious 
subjects. It was his chief endeavor to enforce 
upon his followers the practice of duties relating 
to this life only. When asked some questions 
concerning futurity, he replied, "'Not knowing 
life, how can we know death ? " By the purity 
of his life and teachings, he secured the un- 
bounded respect and veneration of his pupils, 



RELIGIONS OF CHINA. 65 

who are said to have numbered three thousand. 
But. notwithstanding all that is good and noble 
in the life and character of the great sage, I 
confess that in reading Dr. Legg's translation of 
the classics, which are chiefly made up of his 
sayings and doings, my veneration for him was 
not increased. Although Confucius did not 
positively inculcate idolatry, he encouraged it, 
both by example and precept ; especially in that 
subtile form known as ancestral worship. 

There are numerous temples all over China 
dedicated to the worship of Confucius. In these 
there are very seldom any images ; but a tablet, 
with his name inscribed upon it, is the object 
before which offerings are placed, and prostra- 
tions made. These offerings are usually sheep, 
deer, and smaller animals : but I have seen in a 
Confucian temple, in Ningpo, a whole ox skinned 
and placed upon a small bench before the tablet. 
It was left in that way a day or two, and was 
then probably used as food. The officials, by 
whom these offerings are made, are obliged to 
resort to the temple long before day has dawned. 
Connected with Confucian temples, or forming 
part of them, are the examination halls. There 
are also other apartments devoted to different 
purposes; such as collections of numerous tablets, 



66 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



with the names of celebrated individuals of the 
past inscribed upon them. A person, in wor- 
shipping Confucius, simply prostrates himself be- 
fore the tablet, and remains for a moment either 
in silent contemplation or devotion. 

There is in Confucianism nothing gross and 
disgusting, as in the Buddhist and Tauist relig- 
ions; but it is not on that account much less to 
be feared as a hindrance to the spread of Chris- 
tianity ; perhaps for that very reason it is the more 
to be dreaded. Many of the literati are bitter in 
their denunciations of the idolatry of their coun- 
trymen, but they feel no repugnance to it as 
practised by their own class. When little boys 
are first sent to school, they are obliged to pay 
their respects to Confucius, which they do by 
making a very low bow towards the tablet repre- 
senting him. I am afraid I have given but a 
poor and meagre account of this system of morals, 
or religion, as one may choose to call it. I 
very willingly acknowledge that I have still 
much to learn about the religions as well as the 
character and customs of the Chinese. 

Besides these three principal sects, there are 
others, which, though smaller, have still consid- 
erable influence, especially in certain localities. 



VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES. 67 



CHAPTER IV. 

VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES. — RETURN TO 
NINGPO. 

In the early part of the year 1856 our 
friends, Mr. and Mrs. Rankin, returned to the 
United States, — Mrs. Rankin's health having for 
months been seriously affected. After their de- 
parture, Br. and Mrs. McCartee took charge of 
the girls' boarding-school, until, at the close 
of the same year, they themselves, on account of 
Dr. McCartee's ill-health, were obliged to visit 
their native land. As my health, since my first 
illness, had steadily ' declined, it was at length 
decided that I should accompany them, with the 
hope that a short sojourn at home would restore 
my lost voice and failing strength. We sailed 
from Woosung, the mouth of the Shanghai Riv- 
er, on the 14th of December, 1856. Of the 
trial of parting from my husband, under such 
circumstances, I need not speak here. We knew 
that many of our missionary friends disapproved 



68 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

of the separation; but we ourselves Lad little 
doubt as to our duty, and have ever since been 
most thankful that we decided the matter as we 
did. 

Our ship, the "Wild Pigeon," was a very pleas- 
ant one. The captain was kind, and our little 
party, consisting only of Dr. and Mrs. McCartee, 
Rev. Mr. Wight of Shanghai, and myself, passed 
our time as agreeably as the monotony of a sea- 
voyage would allow. We reached New York in 
the month of March, after a favorable passage 
of only ninety-eight days. 

The year and a half in which I was absent 
from China was an eventful one in our mission. 
In the month of October, 1857, our good Mr. 
Quarterman was called to his rest. He was one 
of the best of men, and a devoted mission- 
ary. The disease of which he died was small- 
pox. Mr. Samuel Martin was suffering from a 
severe throat affection, which obliged him, not 
long after, to return home. Mr. Way was also 
in poor health. Mr. William Martin and Mr. 
Nevius were, for a time, the only well men in 
the mission, and their duties were very arduous. 

On account of the illness or absence of so many 
of their foreign teachers, the native assistants, of 
whom at that time there were only two or three, 






VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES. 69 

had to assume much more responsibility, as well 
as more actual labor, than they had before been 
considered adequate to. They were found fully 
equal -to the emergency ; and, from that time to 
this, they have been aiding with great zeal and 
efficiency in the missionary work, not only at 
Ningpo, but in new and distant stations. About 
this time our mission was reinforced by the ar- 
rival of Rev. Mr. Inslee. 

There was in Ningpo, for many years, an 
English lady, who, by her indefatigable energy 
and remarkable Christian character, exercised 
an influence hardly second to that of any other 
missionary. Long before leaving her native 
land she had desired to devote herself to God's 
work among the heathen, but had been deterred 
by the opposition of her father, and, after his 
death, by the necessity of assuming the care 
of a deceased brother's children. At length, 
at the age of forty, all obstacles were removed, 
and she then at once gave her life and her for- 
tune to the work she had so long loved. She 
was one of the earliest missionaries at Ningpo, 
where she established a boarding-school for girls. 
The history of her life would be replete with 
interest; and the influence for good which she 
exerted upon the Chinese must remain forever. 



70 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



There are many who disapprove of unmarried 
ladies engaging in missionary work in foreign 
lands. Such, could they know of the life and 
labors of Miss Aldersey at Ningpo, would, I 
think, be disabused of this mistaken idea, or 
obliged to yield their prejudices. True, there 
are not many Miss Alderseys, but there are 
many who could imitate her to a good degree. 

Miss Aldersey had in her employ, at the time 
of my visit to America, a young Chinaman 
named Zia, one of our church-members. Not 
requiring his constant services in the school, she 
sent him occasionally on short excursions to the 
country, in order that he might attempt some 
more direct missionary work. San-poh was but 
little known during those early years, foreigners 
having but rarely visited it. Its people had the 
reputation of being rude and lawless. I cannot 
remember what first induced Miss Aldersey to 
send Mr. Zia there. However, he went, and met 
with such unlooked-for success, that native as- 
sistants were obliged to go to his help. There 
were numbers whose hearts seemed prepared to 
receive the gospel. The missionaries, fearing 
lest their presence might rather retard than ad- 
vance the work, left it for some time in the hands 
of the assistants. When Mr. Nevius first went 






VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES. 71 

to the new station, there were a large number of 
applicants for baptism, seven of whom were re- 
ceived on the following Sabbath. Of those first 
San-poh converts, none have forsaken their Chris- 
tian profession, nor brought reproach upon it. The 
work thus commenced has spread, until there are 
now in that neighborhood two churches, and more 
than one hundred and fifty church members. Mr. 
Zia, who has been for some years an ordained 
minister, is the pastor of one of these churches ; 
and the lamented Kying Ling-yiu had charge of 
the church at Yu-yiao up to the time of his 
death. Its present pastor is the Rev. Bao 
Kwang-hyi, another of the young ministers con- 
nected with the Ningpo Presbytery. 

During this year there were serious disturb- 
ances at Ningpo. My recollections of them are 
very indistinct. I suppose they were chiefly 
owing to the hatred existing between the Can- 
tonese, of whom there were many in Ningpo, and 
the Portuguese, who had a kind of monopoly of 
the coast trade. In truth there was little to 
choose between them, for a worse class of men 
than either, it would be difficult to find. But as 
the Portuguese were foreigners, the ill odor in 
which they were held extended in a measure to 
other nationalities, and for a time the lives of the 



72 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



missionaries and mercantile community were con- 
sidered far from secure. It was reported that a 
time had been fixed for the assassination of all 
foreigners ; and for many days and nights great 
anxiety was felt. Whether there was truth in this 
or not has never been known. The missionaries 
were not molested, but the wretched Portuguese 
met with a retribution so terrible that we almost 
lost sight of their just deserts in pity for their 
sad fate. The Cantonese attacked them in their 
quarters and massacred nearly all of them. From 
the mission-houses they could be seen rushing 
frantically hither and thither in their vain at- 
tempts to escape. 

When I had been in the United States about 
a year Mr. and Mrs. Rankin returned to China ; 
and, although my health was only partially re- 
stored, I felt that I could not allow those dear 
friends to go back without me. We sailed from 
New York in the clipper-ship "N. B. Palmer, " 
the 1 9th of March, and reached Hong-kong the 
15th of June following, making the passage in 
the remarkably short time of eighty-eight days. 

Our voyage, though so prosperous, was very 
destitute of incident; not even diversified by the 
unwelcome variety afforded by violent storms, or 
dangers of any sort. We anchored but once from 



RETURN TO NINGPO. 73 

New York to Hong-kong, and that was at An- 
gier, on the island of Java. We had light, baf- 
fling winds for some days while in the vicinity 
of the Straits of Sunda ; but the beauty of the 
scenery through which we were passing quite 
compensated for the delay. Arriving at Angier, 
the ship was quickly surrounded by numerous 
Malay boats, containing fowls, fruits and vege- 
tables, shells, etc., for sale, the owners of which 
being evidently aware of the fact that such things 
are very fascinating to seafaring people. Dur- 
ing the afternoon of the day we spent at anchor 
off Angier the captain kindly took his passen- 
gers on shore for a stroll. We had a narrow 
escape from a plunge-bath, as the gig was pass- 
ing through a very narrow, rocky entrance 
leading to the landing. Angier, though rather 
a large Malay settlement, is a poor place, con- 
taining nothing of special interest, except its 
trees, fruits, flowers, and birds. Close to the 
landing is a noble banian-tree, which is one of 
the most prominent objects seen from shipboard. 
The banian, and also numerous palms, plantains^ 
tamarinds, and other tropical trees, gorgeous 
flowers, and birds of brilliant plumage, give to 
these Eastern islands generally, a peculiar charm, 
which, to persons from less genial climates, seems 



74 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



at first particularly delightful. In a short time, 
however, the novelty wears off, and, though still 
everything in nature is pleasing, the warm, ener- 
vating climate, the indolence of the natives, and 
numerous discomforts, scarcely equalled else- 
where, make life less enjoyable than in many a 
land not so favored in the respects I have above 
alluded to. 

There are very few foreign residents at Java ; 
indeed, there were at the time of our visit, if I 
remember rightly, only one lady, and half a 
dozen of the other sex. It seems very custom- 
ary for strangers to call sans ceremonie at the 
Government House ; at least the captain did not 
hesitate to take us with him there. We were 
very politely received by the governor and his 
wife, a pleasant German lady from Batavia. She 
spoke no English and we no German ; but by the 
aid of a little French, and I suspect a good deal 
of pantomime, we succeeded pretty well in con- 
versing. In the extreme isolation of their lives, 
the visit of even total strangers, such as we were, 
seemed not altogether unwelcome. They es- 
corted us through their pretty flower-garden, and 
kindly furnished us a guide for a stroll through 
the village. The houses were small and low, 
but they were neatly whitewashed, and the 



RETURN TO NINGPO. 75 

white, contrasting with the heavy foliage of the 
magnificent trees which shaded them, gave them 
a pretty, picturesque appearance. On return- 
ing from our walk, we again called at the gov- 
ernor's. He and his wife and their physician 
were seated in a wide veranda facing the sea. 
It was delightful there; but as it was already 
after lamplight we remained but a short time, re- 
turning to the " N. B. Palmer " in a native boat 
belonging to a Malay, who supplied the ship with 
water and provisions. The oarsmen, as they 
rowed, sang the wildest songs, accompanying their 
music with such excited gestures that we would 
have been really alarmed, had we not been sure 
that it was all in good nature, and possibly in 
part for our special entertainment. 

We had enjoyed our visit at Angier greatly, 
but one day was enough to exhaust its interest, 
and we were glad to weigh anchor and feel our- 
selves once more in motion towards China. 

The great kindness and unwearied attention of 
my fellow- voyagers, together with the strong at- 
traction at its close, made this voyage, other- 
wise so lonely, an unusually pleasant one. 

We were detained for several weeks at Hong- 
kong. Had we been obliged to remain all that time 
on shipboard, the long delay would have been al- 



76 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



most intolerable. But kind friends on shore — 
Rev. Mr. Ashmore, 0. E. Roberts, Esq., U. S. 
Consul, and the Messrs. Spieden, merchants — 
entertained nearly our whole party, in such a cor- 
dial, hospitable manner, that their kindness will 
ever be most gratefully remembered. 

Hong-kong has a character peculiar to itself. 
It is neither Chinese nor English, but rather a 
combination of both. It stands at the foot of a 
mountain, the highest point of which, Victoria 
Peak, rises seventeen hundred feet above the level 
of the sea. As the town extends, it is gradually 
creeping up the steep behind it, and many of the 
foreign residences are situated in such elevated 
positions as to command an extended view, as 
well as comparatively pure air. The island is 
not quite ten miles long, and is considerably less 
than three in width. Before it was appropriated 
by the English it was only a small settlement 
inhabited by poor Chinese fishermen ; while now, 
not much more than twenty years since it be- 
came an English colony, it has not only a large 
foreign population, but also, it is estimated, about 
ninety thousand Chinese settled there; their 
city, or section of the city, rivalling in size, 
though not in appearance, the foreign part. 
The harbor is excellent. " Landlocked with bold 






RETCJRN TO NINGPO. 77 

rocks and swelling hills, the navies of every 
European power might here safely ride at an- 
chor. Fair weather or foul, this bay of Hong- 
kong is always picturesque. Full of life and 
movement too, from the shipping which crowds 
its waters, the scene is one of great attraction to 
residents and casual visitors alike. The day- 
break gun wakens up all early risers ; the loud 
screaming whistles, and scarce less discordant bells 
of the river steamers soon after begin the busi- 
ness of the day, and keep up one incessant 
alarm from seven in the morning to eight or 
nine o'clock, and again from four in the after- 
noon until long after dark, on their return from 
Canton or Macao. The snorting and puffing of 
gun-boats diversifies the sounds ; while from the 
shore and the streets a busy hum of cries and 
sounds indescribable and untranslatable tell the 
drowsy stranger that a city in the tropics has 
leaped into life and activity before the sun at- 
tains his scorching power. If he turns out for 
an early walk or ride, as most Anglo-Easterns 
do, and bends his steps upwards to the higher 
grounds, he will find the convolvulus spreading 
its beautiful flowers for the fresh breath of dawn, 
creepers of wild luxuriance covering each wall 
and bank ; and. looking seaward, a whole series 



78 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

of bays lie at his feet, stretching away in the 
distance. Market boats, laden with provisions 
from the main land, with their richly colored sails 
of matting, and many picturesque forms, are 
crowding into the harbor. Square-rigged ships 
are pressing all sail to gain the long-desired ha- 
ven, while others are unmooring to proceed to the 
several ports with their outward cargo. Ships 
of war, trading junks, merchant craft from every 
country, — all are here to bear testimony to the 
activity and importance of the trade which in 
some way or other finds in Hong-kong a con- 
necting link. Native craft in numbers from 
the adjoining coast each differing in shape and 
color, according to the port, crowd the anchor- 
age. The great, bulky Shantung junk, laden 
with peas and beans ; the Shanghai hulk, with 
its gaudy colors, and mythic eagle on the stern, 
but little differing in exterior ; and the long, low 
craft of Ningpo, — all are there ; Hainan and 
even Siam and Singapore, each has its type." 

The residence of the governor, and the palace 
of the bishop, and a somewhat imposing cathedral, 
are the most pretentious edifices in the foreign 
settlement ; but the dwellings of the merchants 
generally are commodious and elegant. 

Towards evening in the summer season, it is 



RETURN TO NINGPO. 79 

customary, or was at the time of which I am 
writing, for a great part of the foreign popula- 
tion to assemble upon the parade-ground where 
the music of a military band afforded a pleas- 
ant entertainment. I remember one such even- 
ing in June, 1858. Leaving our ship, we came 
on shore in a native boat, and went at once to 
the "green," where the troops were exercising, 
and the band performing. The latter was com- 
posed of Sepoys from India, some of whom were 
as black as the blackest negro. It was shortly 
after the Indian mutiny, and these Sepoys, I was 
told, were a part of one of the mutinous regi- 
ments. It gave me very sad sensations, as I 
imagined the scenes in which they had probably 
taken part. I inquired of a friend if there 
were not danger of these Indian troops joining 
with the Chinese against foreigners. He replied 
that that could hardly be, as the most bitter 
hatred existed between them; exceeding even 
their common hatred to foreigners. A large 
number of ladies and gentlemen were assembled 
on the green, promenading or conversing in 
groups ; a few equestrians galloped to and fro, 
and there were many ponies led by their grooms, 
their riders having dismounted. The different 
nationalities represented, with their varied cos- 



80 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

tumes, added much to the animated and interest- 
ing scene. 

At the time of my visit in Hong-kong, affairs 
between foreigners and Chinese were in a most 
unsatisfactory state. Steamers passing between 
Hong-kong and Canton were not unfrequently 
attacked, and foreign residents there were in con- 
tinual danger. One day a German missionary 
was walking quietly through the streets of Can- 
ton, when he noticed a woman who was approach- 
ing him start back, an expression of horror 
depicted in her features. Her eyes were directed 
to some object behind him, and, turning quickly, 
he saw a knife suspended over his own head. It 
was too late to prevent the blow, which fell upon 
his forehead, severing an artery, and inflicting 
a severe wound. There were three ruffians en- 
gaged in the attack, and he knew that his only 
safety was in flight. They pursued him, but he 
escaped; not, however, without receiving two 
more wounds. While in Hong-kong it was re- 
ported that Ningpo had been captured by the 
rebels ; but the rumor was incorrect, as it was 
not until some years later that that city fell into 
their hands. 

After a somewhat tedious voyage up the coast, 
owing to baffling winds and extreme heat, we 






RETURN TO NINGPO. 81 

reached the mouth of the Shanghai River, on the 
25th July. The United States man-of-war, 
"Minnesota," was at that time stationed there, 
and we anchored not far from her. Shortly after, 
a small boat, manned with foreign sailors, pushed 
off from the steamer, and made towards us. I 
was not long in discovering that the gentleman 
in the stern was my husband. While awaiting 
the arrival of our ship, he had been for several 
days the guest of the excellent Admiral Dupont. 
Our whole party, at the. admiral's invitation, 
took tea on board the " Minnesota," and the same 
evening proceeded up the river to Shanghai. I 
think a stranger, hearing our animated conversa- 
tion and cheerful songs, as we sailed up the 
Woosing River that pleasant summer evening, 
would not have received the impression that 
missionaries were by any means an unhappy class 
of people. 

But the happy hearts and buoyant spirits of 
some of our party were destined soon to receive 
that proof of a Father's love, — affliction. Mr. and 
Mrs. Rankin, with their three children, had taken 
passage for Ningpo a few days after our arrival. 
They were about embarking, when little Johnny 
was attacked by cholera. The disease ran its 
course with frightful rapidity, and, after a few 






82 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

hours of suffering, the dear child closed his eyes 
in death. He was a lovely boy, and a great 
favorite with us all. His parents bore the blow 
with sweet resignation, having ere this learned 
to say, "Not my will, but Thine, be done." 
Perhaps we were all too happy in the enjoyment 
of our many mercies, and needed just that re- 
minder, severe though it was. 

Within a few weeks we were all in our homes, 
and busily engaged in our various duties. Dr. 
and Mrs. McCartee had reached Ningpo a short 
time before us. The Rankins resumed the girls' 
school, Mr. Nevius had charge of the boys'. He 
had also a most interesting Bible-class, which had 
been continued, with but few interruptions, for 
several years. It consisted of all the native 
assistants, and several members of the graduat- 
ing class in the school, and a few of the teachers 
in mission employ, — in all, between twenty and 
thirty. They used to meet twice a week in our 
dining-room. Their intelligent, eager counte- 
nances, quick replies, and the heartfelt interest 
manifested in their lessons were most encouraging 
to their teacher. These native Christians have 
a wonderful knowledge of the Bible. Mr. Nevius 
would frequently say to them, " There is in the 
Scriptures a verse containing such and dnch an 



RETURN TO NINGPO. 83 

idea ; can any of you repeat it, or tell me where 
it is?" Almost invariably, several would an- 
swer with the exact words of the text, and prob- 
ably the place where it could be found. Hav- 
ing few religious books or commentaries has not 
been in all respects a disadvantage to our native 
Christians. They study the Bible itself so 
thoroughly, that many of them have become, 
without exaggeration, "mighty in the Scrip- 
tures. " Mr. Gamble, my fellow-passenger from 
the United States, soon after his arrival, assumed 
charge of our mission press, which position he 
has ever since filled with great energy and effi- 
ciency. Mr. Samuel Martin and family had 
already left for home ; we missed them greatly. 
Not long after this, Mr. and Mrs. Way were also 
obliged to return to the United States. Mr. Way 
had, I think, been about seventeen years in 
China without once leaving it. They also were 
a great loss to our mission, as they were loved 
by all. Neither of these families have been able 
to resume their work in China. 

My health, though much better than when I 
left the country eighteen months before, was by 
no means perfect. As opportunities for useful- 
ness opened upon every side, I used to long for 
greatly increased physical strength. Not being 



84 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

able to use my voice as freely as I once could, I 
employed much of my time the first few months 
after my return in translating the well known 
child's book, "Peep of Day." I have the sat- 
isfaction of knowing that it has been used exten- 
sively by those who are acquainted with the 
Romanized colloquial of Ningpo. I resumed my 
visits among the women, as far as my voice and 
strength would allow. One day when I was 
paying a visit in a respectable family who lived 
near us, the lady of the house, as we sat con- 
versing, informed me, with no apparent annoy- 
ance at the fact, that her husband had three 
ivives, adding, " I am the chief." A younger 
woman entered with tea and tiffin. Pointing to 
her, my hostess remarked, " She is the mother of 
these children," — two nice little boys who hung 
about her with as much freedom and affection as if 
she had been their own parent. The third wife was 
absent with her husband, at a place some distance 
from Ningpo. Polygamy is not common in China, 
but there are occasional instances of it. 

A friend, Mrs. B , of Shanghai, was 

spending a few days with me during the month 
of November. One morning we noticed a bridal 
procession passing the house. First came the 
bride in the bridal chair, — a huge, gayly painted 



RETURN TO NINGPO. 85 

sedan carried by four well-dressed bearers. Next 
followed a band of musicians, together with at- 
tendants, and several porters with loads of bed- 
ding, and embroidered pillows, etc., etc. 

The house where the wedding was to take 
place was near at hand, and, though we were not 
invited guests, we ventured to follow the proces- 
sion, and enter the court, — quite sure that once 
there, we would be politely invited to the " inner 
apartments." 

When we reached the house, where a large 
number of male and female guests were assem- 
bled, the bride was still sitting in her closed 
sedan, and the bedding was being carried into 
her room. After peeping in at her through the 
curtain of her chair, we went, by invitation, to 
see the bride-chamber, which was ornamented 
for the occasion. There were many finely 
dressed women in waiting, several of whom we 
were told were the daughters-in-law of the fam- 
ily. On coming again to the reception hall, we 
had an opportunity of seeing the bride leave the 
sedan, and together with the bridegroom, who, 
by the way, she then saw for the first time, per- 
form their first act of worship, which is the most 
important feature in the marriage ceremony. In 
front of the sedan was placed a small imitation 



86 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



of a saddle, emblematic of something, I forget 
what, with a gaudy red flannel covering thrown 
over it. There were three cushions upon the 
floor in front of a table, upon which stood the an- 
cestral tablets, and several red wax candles burn- 
ing. A man, who acted as master of ceremonies, 
stood at one side. When all was ready, he 
called out with a loud voice, " Prostrate your- 
selves ! " At once the bride and groom and a 
male attendant, for whom the third cushion was 
spread, all knelt. Two waiting women at the 
bride's side, assisted her to obey the order. 
Another call, " Raise the incense ! " and the 
male attendant placed three small bundles of 
lighted incense-sticks in a vase on the table. 
Then came more prostrations. I think the un- 
happy couple had thus to rise and kneel, full 
twenty times, in performing the ancestral wor- 
ship. When it was completed, a handsomely 
dressed boy, with a tasselled cap, came forward, 
and read, in a clear, loud voice, a congratulatory 
paper, with the names of the parties, the year, 
month, and day of the wedding, ending with best 
wishes, etc., etc. This finished, the bride and 
groom, followed by a crowd of women, were con- 
ducted to the bride's room. On the front of a 
Ningpo bedstead is an enclosed platform, several 






RETURN TO NINGPO. 87 

inches from the floor, two or three feet wide, with 
a seat at the head and foot. The bride seated 
herself at the head, and the groom at the foot of 
the bed, facing each other. Two cups of wine, 
tied together by a long string, were handed one 
to each. After tasting it, the wine was poured 
back and forth from one to the other, and they 
drank again. Here the bride and groom for the 
first time saw each other's faces, — one of the at- 
tendants, with a long stick, having removed the 
covering of the bride's head just before she 
tasted the wine. 

Next, two cups of some sort of food, emblemat- 
ical of kind and cordial feeling, were brought, 
and one presented to each. These, like the 
wine, were exchanged, and I think mixed. 

Presently the groom rose, and for one mo- 
ment sat upon the side of thv bed; the next he 
rushed precipitately out of the room. This is 
usually the signal for a general merry-making, 
— the women and children trying to prevent 
his escape. But that day, for some reason, 
he was permitted to make his exit without mo- 
lestation. 

Now commenced the dressing and undressing 
of the bride. Her tire-woman took off the large 
crimson, embroidered wrapper, which had envel- 



88 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

oped her from head to foot, and also some other 
garments, and then proceeded to re-dress her, 
adding garment to garment until it seemed as if 
she must be burdened by their weight. This 
over, she was brought out from the bedside to a 
dressing-table, where a basin of hot water was 
given her to wash her face. This operation, un- 
fortunately, served to render more apparent the 
fact that the poor bride's face was very badly 
pock-marked. One and another of the women 
present exclaimed, " Oh, what a pity ! She 
would not be very ugly, were it not for the 
small-pox ! How dreadfully she is pitted ! " 
I felt so sorry for the young creature ; and I 
remarked, by way of consolation to her, and 
of reproof to the others, " What matters it, 
if she is good and lovely, whether she is or is 
not pretty ! " Afterwards I heard them re- 
peating my remark, evidently pleased that I had 
taken the poor thing's part. 

When she had been duly washed, dressed, 
powdered, and painted, a luncheon was set before 
her ; and while the waiting women held up the 
veil of pearls at each side, she ate a few grains 
of rice, and a morsel of other food. She was 
not allowed to take more, even if she wished it. 
After this, she was led here and there, to pay 






RETURN TO NINGPO. 89 

her respects to the guests, who were expected to 
examine her fine clothes, and, also, her tiny feet, 
and to express unbounded admiration of every- 
thing about her, especially of the little feet, 
which were so small as to compensate, in a meas- 
ure, for the ugliness of her face. She was soon 
after conducted to her mother-in-law's apart- 
ments, to pay her respects to her. She had not, 
as yet, come near her new daughter-in-law, nor 
given her one kindly word of welcome ; and she 
did not exhibit the least warmth or interest in 
meeting her. After following the bride from 
place to place, we came away, feeling that a 
newly married Chinese lady is not to be envied. 
Through all these performances she is not ex- 
pected to say one word, unless in a very low 
tone to her attendants. She stands like a 
statue, or walks about like an automaton, — a 
poor, sad, lonely creature, no matter how gay 
the assembled company. There are so many 
forms and trifling practices connected with be- 
trothals and marriages in China, that it would 
require a volume to describe them minutely, nor 
would they be of interest to most persons. I 
shall not allow myself to go into particulars. 
The marriages of our native converts, although 
agreeing in some respects with those of other 






90 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

Chinese, have always a Christian ceremony sim- 
ilar to our own. 

When a Christian, as is often the case, is 
obliged to marry a person who is still a heathen, 
he or she is placed in a most trying position. 
Of course a Christian cannot consent to perform 
the usual idolatrous rites; while the other party 
is equally unwilling to omit them. Sometimes, 
when the bride is a Christian, and her husband 
and his family are not, she is forced to kneel be- 
fore the ancestral tablets, and, if she resists, a 
most unhappy scene is sure to follow. 

Of course it is most desirable that Christians 
should never marry heathens ; but when a be- 
trothal has taken place in infancy, or childhood, 
the marriage often cannot be avoided, as the 
Chinese regard the betrothal almost as binding 
as a marriage, and are nearly as unwilling to 
break it. 

Our boarding-school for girls has furnished 
wives for most of the native pastors, and there 
have been some very happy marriages between 
pupils in the two schools. There is no social 
intercourse allowed between these pupils, but 
they see each other at church and occasionally 
elsewhere ; and, if I am not mistaken, there have 
been some cases of "falling in love" among them. 






RETURN TO NINGPO. 91 

At least they have strong likes and dislikes, even 
when not a word has been exchanged. 

When I was teaching my singing-class in the 
chapel on North Bank, the boys sat on one side, 
and the girls on the other, quite separate. But 
a few times I intercepted little billet-doux pass- 
ing between them, not always of so " sweet" a 
character either ; for one of these, I remember, 

read as follows, — "You, K H , need 

not look so proud, and walk so loftily. You 
have scald-head, anyhow, and are no better than 
others ! " (Scald-head is a disease not uncom- 
mon in China.) The writer of this grew to be a 

lovely and useful woman. K H is 

now an ordained and efficient minister. He had 
then a somewhat haughty bearing, and was very 
good-looking. This, however, seemed not to have 
awakened admiration among the little girls, so 
much as their dislike, because they thought him 
"proud." 

From about the time of my visit in America 
there were many encouraging indications that 
the work which had heretofore advanced so slow- 
ly was beginning to make more rapid progress. 
The number of native converts and inquirers 
was greatly increased ; out-stations were formed, 
long itinerations were undertaken, and the Sab- 



92 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

bath church services became more solemn and 
interesting. The sermons preached on these oc- 
casions were carefully prepared, and listened to 
with the deepest attention, while "our hymns of 
love and praise," led by one of the young men 
from the school, and joined in most heartily by 
nearly the whole congregation, were indeed soul- 
stirring. I have always regarded it as a delight- 
ful compensation for the injury sustained to my 
voice that, chiefly owing to my efforts in teach- 
ing singing, our native Christians have since 
been able to join so heartily and sweetly in the 
praises of the sanctuary. Besides the two 
boarding-schools, there were at this time several 
day-schools under the care of different ladies in 
the mission. It was so difficult to induce the 
pupils to attend with regularity, that we were 
obliged to pay them a small sum each day. 
However, the fault lay with the parents rather 
than the children. 

On some of Mr. Nevius' itinerations, in the 
autumn of 1858, 1 accompanied him. We went 
together to San-poh, and visited, besides our out- 
stations there, many of the towns and villages 
which are scattered over that fertile plain. 
Here I, as well as my husband, had as much 
work as my strength was equal to. Mr. Nevius 



BETURN TO NINGPO. 93 

would leave me at some respectable house, while 
he went out to find the men of the place, either 
in their fields or shops. Curiosity would soon 
bring a crowd of women and children about me, 
and, after their many questions were answered, I 
would tell them of our object in coming, and 
urge them to forsake their idols and turn to 
Jesus. The poor creatures seemed often pleased 
and grateful for our interest in them ; and we 
could but hope that some of the seed thus scat- 
tered might some time spring up and bear 
fruit. 

This kind of work is fatiguing in the extreme ; 
too much so indeed for a lady, unless she is unu- 
sually strong. Even the gentlemen often corre 
home from their itinerating tours quite worn 
out. 

I have very pleasant recollections of a visit we 
made, in company with Mr. and Mrs. Knowlton, 
to the region called by foreigners Snowy Valley. 
This jaunt was undertaken for recreation rather 
than work ; though it is always intended to com- 
bine the two, as far as practicable. Leaving 
Ningpo in boats at evening, we made the first 
stage of our journey by night. Morning found 
us approaching the hills, and near the termi- 
nation of boat navigation, 



94 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

As I have before remarked, the Ningpo plain, 
being devoted to rice culture, is irrigated from 
the canals, and for several months each year is 
completely submerged. The warm spring sun 
causes rapid evaporation, and at times it seems as 
if we were living in a vast vapor bath. In the 
spring and early summer it rains almost con- 
stantly, and the effect upon health and spirits 
is anything but favorable. Another source of 
great annoyance is the intolerable odors, which 
load the atmosphere so that one would gladly 
stop breathing or smelling, if that were possible. 
With great delight, then, we occasionally escape 
to a region of pure air and lovely sights. There 
is no scenery in the neighborhood of Ningpo 
more inviting than Snowy Valley and its vi- 
cinity. A few miles from the terminus of boat 
navigation on the river we reach the foot of the 
mountains, and the landscape becomes wild and 
broken. There is, however, as in Chinese sce- 
nery generally, a strange mingling of wildness 
and softness. Many of the hill-sides are ter- 
raced and cultivated to their very tops. In 
one instance we counted seventy of these ter- 
races. Other hills are covered with almost un- 
broken forests of bamboo and pine. The most 
remarkable feature of this locality is the water- 





SgsSre^ 




RETURN TO NINGPO. 95 

falls and ravines which, in Western lands, would 
attract crowds of admiring visitors. Mountain 
streams, forcing their waj to the plain below, 
form a succession of water-falls of great height 
and singular beauty. Near each of these cata- 
racts is a Buddhist monastery ; and innumerable 
smaller shrines are scattered here and there, by 
the wayside, or in niches in the rocks. Tsin- 
dziang-ngaen, the first of these falls, is about 
three hundred feet high, and the rocks on either 
side are much higher. Not far from this, on 
another stream, is a very lovely cascade called 
Long-ing-den, "Dragon's shady dell." About 
five miles distant is still another fall, five hundred 
feet high, and in some respects more beautiful. 
It is called Z-wu. The volume of water is not 
great, and, before it reaches the rocks below, it 
is converted into light, feathery foam. Taghanuc 
Falls, on the west bank of Cayuga Lake, in New 
York, is strikingly like it, but Taghanuc is not 
half as high, nor has it as much water. The 
descent to the bed of the stream below seemed 
almost impossible ; but, a short distance from the 
precipice, my husband discovered a footpath, 
down which we all scrambled, and, with only a 
few bruises and scratches, reached the bottom in 
safety. Here the view was magnificent ; the fall 



96 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

itself, the towering rocks, the grand old trees 
with their tangled underwood, and the clear 
stream gliding swiftly over its bed of pebbles and 
rocks, formed a scene ever to be remembered 
with pleasure. 

The old monastery, where we spent our nights, 
afforded but the poorest accommodations. Like 
nearly all similar establishments it is evidently 
going to decay. At certain seasons it has 
crowds of worshippers, but the dilapidated build- 
ings and general air of neglect are evidence 
that the resources of the place are not what 
they once were. One evening, taking a lighted 
candle in my hand, I went from my room 
through several courts to meet my husband, 
whom I was expecting home. As I was pass- 
ing through the largest hall of the temple, a 
gust of wind extinguished my light, and left me 
groping my way in the dark, among the huge, 
grim figures on every side of me. Just then, 
the great bell of the temple began to toll ; and 
as its tones reverberated through the nearly 
empty rooms, although I am not particularly 
superstitious, I confess to feeling that I was not 
quite as far removed from the presence of the 
evil one as would have been agreeable. At 






RETURN TO NTNGPO. 97 

length, I found a door, and was glad to make 
my escape into a different atmosphere. 

After a few days spent very delightfully at 
this place, we returned to Ningpo by a different 
route, stopping the first night in the valley just 
below the monastery, at the house of one of our 
servants. Some member of his family lud died 
five days previously, and preparations were be- 
ing made for the funeral on the morrow. The 
ceremonies and performances were something 
after the order of an Irish " wake." A concert 
of the most doleful music, interspersed occa- 
sionally by the explosion of fire-crackers, was 
kept up through the whole night. Immense 
kettles of food were cooking on the fires, and, as 
the house had no chimneys, we in the second 
story were nearly smothered by smoke. But 
nothwithstanding the smoke and the noise and 
confusion, we slept part of the night, and early 
the next morning resumed our journey. The first 
stage was made on rafts of light bamboo poles 
fastened together. It was a pleasant day, all 
the more so that the sun was obscured. The 
stream had frequent rapids, do^n which we 
glided swiftly, though the water was often so 
shallow that the raft touched the stony bottom. 
After reaching the deeper part of the river, we 






98 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

took boats for the remainder of the journey. 
Some of the Ningpo river boats are very com- 
fortable, that is, to persons who can accommo- 
date themselves to circumstances. They are 
sculled by a man who stands in the stern. In 
the middle of the boat is a small cabin, about 
ten or twelve feet long, and six or seven wide. 
It is covered by a matting, which, as it droops at 
the sides, leaves only a narrow space in the 
centre, where even a short person can scarcely 
stand erect. In one end is a raised platform, on 
which we spread our mattresses at night. 
There is a little window at each side, which, if 
wind and weather allow, we keep open to admit 
light and air ; and often at evening, or when the 
sky is clouded, the matting overhead is lifted 
and pushed back, allowing an unobstructed view 
of the river and surrounding country. The 
little cabin, which has usually a tiny table and 
one or two chairs, serves as a bedroom at night, 
and a parlor and dining-room by day. On our 
return from " Snowy Valley," on the occasion 
to which I have alluded, we were not so fortu- 
nate as to secure such comfortable boats as those 
I have described. We hung up screens to pro- 
tect us from the wind, and spread our mattresses 
on the floor. Having been broken of our rest 



RETURN TO N1NGPO. 99 

for several nights in succession, we reached 
home pretty well tired out, but feeling that the 
pleasure of the excursion far more than com- 
pensated for the fatigue. 

One evening, in the autumn of this year, as my 
husband, Mr. Gamble, and myself were sitting in 
our parlor, we heard an unusual noise in the 
rooms below. Supposing it was made by the 
servants, we took no notice of it, until the wash- 
erman came running upstairs in great distress, 
exclaiming, " The clock is missing ! " The two 
gentlemen ran below, and, sure enough, the 
empty shelf where the clock had stood ac- 
counted for the noise we had heard but a 
moment before. The thief had entered by the 
front door, and carried off the clock and a few 
other small articles. I mention this trifling 
incident, only because a narrative of life in 
China might be thought by some uninterest- 
ing and incomplete without some thefts and the 
like to vary it. But I must add that this was 
the only loss of any amount which we experi- 
enced while living in Ningpo. It was our cus- 
tom to allow Chinese guests to go freely through 
all parts of our house, examining books, pic- 
tures, and various mementos of home ; but we 
rarely missed anything, though they might 



100 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

easily have pilfered had they been so dis- 



I find the two following incidents in a letter 
of about the same date as the events of which I 
have been writing. 

There was a local insurrection in the country 
a few miles from Ningpo, occasioned by oppres- 
sion and extortion on the part of the officers. 
Troops were sent thither, and, after a short 
struggle, the country people were obliged to 
yield. Among the terms imposed upon them 
was the surrender of their chief and leader. 
This man, named S. Chu-feng, was brought to 
Ningpo, and, for the few days previous to his 
execution, was confined in a cage exposed to the 
gaze of all who cared to see him. Much sym- 
pathy was felt for him, as he was not more to 
blame than many others ; and, in fact, the provo- 
cation was so great as almost to justify the 
revolt. My husband visited him in his prison, 
and had a long and serious conversation with 
him. A day or two after this interview, as Mr. 
Nevius was passing through a street in the city, 
his attention was arrested by several open bas- 
kets suspended from a pole. In each of these 
baskets was a gory head, evidently just decapi- 
tated ; and one of these he recognized as that of 






RETURN TO NINGPO. 101 

poor S. Chu-feng. It was a horrid sight, but 
one, alas ! too common in this age of anarchy and 
rebellions. 

About the same time Mr. Nevius went, by re- 
quest, to visit a prisoner at the English Consul- 
ate, — a man who at one time declared himself an 
American citizen, at another an English subject, 
as suited his convenience. He professed to have 
been praying since he had been in prison, but 
said "he did not get any comfort." Mr. 
Nevius concluded, after conversing with him, 
that he was " anxious" only to get released 
from confinement, and feigned this appearance 
of religious interest only to awaken sympathy 
and gain assistance. He exhibited as deplorable 
ignorance of the Bible, and the way of salva- 
tion through Christ, as a very heathen. 

The number of such characters in foreign 
ports is so great as to be a disgrace to our nom- 
inally Christian nations, and a great hindrance 
to the spread of the gospel. Some of these law- 
less foreigners have been well educated, and be- 
long to highly respectable families in their native 
land. But, having given loose reins to the 
downward tendencies of their natures, in the 
course of a few years they sink so low in sin and 
infamy, that even the heathen look upon them 



102 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

with astonishment. I have in my mind more 
than one such person, who, having left a home 
of affluence and refinement, has hy indulgence 
in opium-smoking, intemperance, and other 
vices, speedily changed from a young and vigor- 
ous man into a faded and decrepit creature, just 
tottering on the edge of an unknown and dis- 
honored grave. Sometimes, at the last hour, 
a missionary is summoned to listen to heart- 
broken confessions of penitence and grief; and 
to point the wanderer to Him who is able to 
save unto the uttermost all who come unto God 
by Him. Sadder still is the case of others, 
whose consciences are so blunted and hardened 
by their lives of sin, that even in the hour of 
death they feel no sorrow for the past, and no 
longings for a better life. 









CHURCH AND SCHOOLS AT NLNGPO. 103 



CHAPTER V. 

CHURCH AND SCHOOLS AT NINGPO. — CHINESE 
WOMEN. 

Our communion season, about the beginning 
of the year 1859, was one of great interest to us 
all. Twelve persons were received into the 
church by baptism. Of this number, two were 
husband and wife ; three were a grandmother, 
daughter, and grand-daughter ; and another was 
little Ping-fong, whom I shall mention hereafter. 
As the applicants knelt to receive the holy ordi- 
nance, our hearts were filled with joy and thank- 
fulness, and many prayers were offered that the 
vows then assumed might never be broken. 

Another of those who, on this day for the first 
time, sat down to the table of our Lord, was 
a member of the graduating class in the boys' 
school. His name was Chong-eng. He had 
been for years in the school, but it was not until 
the time drew near when he must leave us, that 
he became more particularly anxious upon the 



104 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

subject of religion. His mother was a poor 
woman, and in a measure dependent upon him 
for support. She had looked forward to his leav- 
ing the school with impatience, and had secured 
him what she considered a good situation in busi- 
ness. What were her grief, then, and indignation 
when she found that these cherished plans were to 
be thwarted, and, worse still, both he and she to 
be disgraced through his becoming a Christian ! 
When Chong-eng had positively decided to confess 
Christ, he visited his mother to acquaint her with 
his resolution. As he had anticipated, she received 
the avowal with a storm of tears and curses. But 
he was firm, and returned to the school, where he 
had yet a few days to remain previous to the 
expiration of the time of his indenture. He re- 
ceived baptism the Sabbath preceding that I have 
mentioned. On the Saturday before, his mother 
made her appearance to endeavor once more to 
prevent this dreaded calamity. Threats, argu- 
ments, entreaties, were freely used, not only with 
Chong-eng, but also with us, for having, as she 
said, perverted her son. Mr. Nevius and I both 
tried in every possible way to allay her fears and 
soften her prejudices; but with no success. At 
length she gave herself up to despair. I never 
saw a more wretched-looking creature. She was 



CHUKCH AND SCHOOLS AT NINGPO. 105 

detained at our house for some days by a storm, 
but I could not induce her to eat our rice. " She 
would not be indebted for food to those who had 
thus caused the ruin of her son." I have a vivid 
recollection of her, as she sat hour after hour on 
the side of her bed, scarcely speaking a word to 
any one, and her expression the concentration of 
disappointment and ill-humor. Years passed. 
Chong-eng became a minister of the gospel, and 
a very useful man. He married a pretty and 
amiable girl, who had been adopted when a child 
by Dr. and Mrs. McCartee. His mother — the 
bitter enemy of Christianity, and most violent op- 
poser, though she did it in ignorance — has since 
followed her son's example, and professed Christ 
before men. Surely we ought not to limit the 
power and grace of God ! 

Ping-fong, whom I mentioned before as one 
of the twelve who received baptism on the same 
day, was a great favorite of mine. His history 
was a strange one. One morning there was a 
knock at the outer door of the school-court. A 
servant opening it found a small boy, who said 
he wished to attend the school. He was ragged 
and weary ; and, had it not been for a certain air 
of manliness and independence, he might have 
been taken for a beggar. His brogue was so pe- 



106 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

culiar that it was with difficulty our Ningpo peo- 
ple could understand him. He had come, he said, 
from the city of Tong-Yiang, one hundred and 
fifty miles in the interior, with the hope of gain- 
ing admittance to this institution. Mr. Nevius, 
and Mr. Cobbold, of the Church of England, had, 
on a long itinerating tour, visited the vicinity of 
Tong-Yiang, and an uncle of Ping-fong had 
chanced to hear them speak of our boys' school 
in Ningpo. He related what he had heard at 
the house of Ping-fong. It so happened that 
just at this time the boy was in great trouble. 
His father had been a scholar, and his family 
were very respectable, although in greatly re- 
duced circumstances. His two mothers (for his 
father at the time of his death had two wives) 
and his brother had come to the decision to ap- 
prentice Ping-fong to learn the tailor's trade. 
To this he had a great repugnance. As he told 
me afterwards, when his uncle was telling them 
about the free school in Ningpo, the " words 
fell into his heart," and, from that time, when 
his brother and his mothers were discussing their 
plans, he was saying to himself, " Oh, if I 
could but get to Ningpo! " No one guessed his 
thoughts, and he did not disclose them. But 
when he had matured his project, unknown to 



CHURCH AtfD SCHOOLS AT NINGPO. 107 

any one, he started for Ningpo. He had only 
about two hundred cash — hardly equal to twenty 
cents — with which to defray the expenses of the 
journey. He had never been from home, and did 
not know the way; yet he seems to have met with 
little difficulty. He walked most of the distance, 
and at the end of six days had reached Ningpo. 
I can imagine his anxiety while the question of 
his admission to the school was yet undecided 
His story seemed so strange, that it was not un- 
til letters had been written to certain individuals 
whom he mentioned as acquaintances, that we 
felt sure he was speaking the truth. At length 
all such doubts were removed, and he began his 
studies. He improved rapidly, and by his good 
conduct became a favorite with both teachers and 
pupils; and, better than all, he soon began to give 
evidence of love to the Saviour. When he had 
been with us a few months, his older brother, 
who had succeeded in tracing the little runaway, 
came to Ningpo in search of him. He seemed 
delighted to find Ping-fong doing so well, and 
willingly indentured him to the school for six 
years. Before the close of the first year Ping- 
fong was taken very ill. We thought he would 
die, and he thought so himself. When Mr. Nev- 
ius told him this he said, " Ping-fong, are you 



108 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

afraid to die?" He promptly answered, "No." 
" Tell me why you do not fear to die?" contin- 
ued Mr. Nevius. He paused a little, and an- 
swered, " Jesus Christ died to save sinners. I 
am a sinner, and I have asked Christ to save me ; 
I know he will not reject me." He remained 
quiet a few moments, and then added, very 
thoughtfully : " When I remember how God 
called me from my distant home in Tong-Yiang, 
and brought me here so that I might learn of the 
Saviour ; and when I think how kind and good 
he has been to me, I feel sure that he will never 
cast me off." At another time he seemed 
troubled, not for himself however. "I hoped," 
said he, " to have gone back to my home, and 
have told my friends of Jesus; and now how can 
they hear of him ? Will you promise me, Mr. 
Nevius, that, if I die, one of the native assist- 
ants shall go there to teach them?" The prom- 
ise was made, and his mind seemed relieved. It 
pleased God, however, to spare his life, and he is 
now, after having graduated from school, engaged 
in assisting at an out-station, at the same time 
that he continues his theological studies. He is 
not by any means a faultless character ; but there 
is much to admire in him, and we hope that he 
will prove a very valuable man, and carry into 



CHURCH AND SCHOOLS AT NINGPO. 109 

his work of preaching the gospel the same quali- 
ties which so distinguished him as a boy. He was 
only about eleven j-ears of age when he came to 
us. Those who love to trace particular provi- 
dences, I think, will not fail to see one in the 
case of Ping-fong. 

Although Mr. Nevius was at this time super- 
intendent of the boys' school, the principal care 
and tuition of the pupils devolved upon Mr. Zi, 
the native teacher. He was an elder in the 
church, and a most judicious and consistent 
Christian. His influence was excellent, and, 
while under his care, the boys improved rapidly 
both in their studies and deportment. He died 
several years since, loved and regretted by all 
who knew him. 

The girls' school, which was superintended by 
Mr. Rankin, was also under the more immediate 
charge of the natives. Mr. Lu, another of the 
members of the church, and Mrs. Lu, devoted 
themselves to it; and, if improvement in the 
pupils was a test, no plan could have been 
better. 

Every one familiar with the Presbyterian 
Mission in China has heard at least the name 
of the Lu family. Long years ago, when mis- 
sionaries first went to Ningpo, the father of the 



110 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

present Lu sin-sang, was employed as a teacher. 
He afterwards accepted the position of secre- 
tary to an officer, or something of that sort, and 
went to reside in a distant province. He did 
not himself embrace Christianity, but must have 
been convinced of its worth ; for. as he was leav- 
ing home, he said to his wife, — " Now, if at any 
time in the future our son, Kyise-Dzing, should 
wish to become a Christian, you must not oppose 
him ; for the religion is true." The young Mr. Lu 
was employed for a time by Mr. William Martin 
as his teacher. While imparting instruction in the 
language, he became interested in Christianity, 
and, in the course of a few months, it was evident 
that he sincerely believed the gospel, and was 
desirous to obey it ; and now he, like so many 
of our Chinese Christians, had to endure a species 
of persecution, perhaps as hard to bear as any 
other. When his mother heard of his purpose, 
notwithstanding the parting injunction of her 
husband, she positively forbade her son to make 
a profession of Christianity. She threatened 
suicide in case he did so ; she would not survive 
the disgrace, but would surely drown herself. 
This was no unmeaning threat ; on the contrary, 
there was every reason to think she would carry 
it into execution. Mr. Lu's wife, tc whom he 



CHtTRCH AND SCHOOLS AT NINGPO. Ill 

was devotedly attached, for a time joined with 
the other members of his family in their opposi- 
tion. Even in his private devotions, he was 
constantly interrupted and ridiculed. At length, 
worn out by this sort of treatment, he was taken 
violently ill, and for weeks his mind was so much 
affected that his friends were fearful he might 
become permanently insane. His family were 
greatly alarmed, especially as they felt that his 
illness was perhaps the result of their unkind- 
ness. When, therefore, he began to recover, they 
relaxed in their opposition, and Mr. Lu united 
with the church. He soon after had the pleas- 
ure of seeing his wife a follower of Jesus ; and, 
as years have passed, one and another has joined 
them, until now, his mother and sister and his 
son, besides his wife's aged grandmother, and 
other relatives in the family, are all professing 
Christians. The younger Mrs. Lu is a veuy in- 
teresting person. Modest, retiring, gentle, with 
yet a great deal of force of character, she is con- 
sidered by some of her foreign friends as almost 
a model Christian lady. Her sincere piety and 
the refinement of her manners have had an ex- 
cellent influence upon the pupils. Most of the 
time for the last ten years she has been 
matron of the school, and the duties of her 



112 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

position she has discharged with great faith- 
fulness. 

She has but one child living, — a son, who is 
now studying theology. I think she had lost 
three children before she became a Christian, 
and at least that many since. Before she had 
learned of Him who took little children in his 
arms and blessed them, her feelings towards her 
children who died in infancy were just like those 
of her heathen country women. They were 
not even buried. Now this is not because Chi- 
nese women are destitute of natural affection. 
By no means ; on the contrary, they love their 
children, while living, with the same devoted 
affection that Christian mothers do. But a 
wretched superstition, the fruit of heathenism, 
has blighted the tender mother love. It is sup- 
posed, if a child dies in infancy, that this event is 
a proof that the soul which inhabited the little 
body originally belonged to an enemy, or to 
some defrauded creditor of an ancestor, who, 
having failed to get his dues in the previous 
state, has entered this child's body, to give anx- 
iety, care, and trouble until the debt is fullv 
cancelled. When therefore an infant dies, the 
love of its parents dies with it. Many precau- 
tions are made use of, such as sweeping the 







CHINESE WOMEN. 113 

house, exploding fire-crackers, and the like, to 
frighten away the dreaded spirit. 

A few years since Mrs. Lu lost a dear little 
girl, about two years old. It had been the pet 
and darling of its parents, who, having lost so 
many other children, clung the more closely to 
this. It was indeed a lovely child, and when 
God took it from them the grief of its parents 
was intense. I saw it in its coffin. The mother 
was bending over it, stroking and caressing the 
little face as if it had been in life. No one who 
saw her then could doubt her love. She has 
since been called to part with a little boy, who 
died when some months younger. But she sor-^ 
rows not now, as " others who have no hope; " 
for she knows that though her loved ones cannot 
return to her she will soon go to them, and that 
together they will spend an eternity with Him 
who said, " Suffer little children to come unto 
me, and forbid them not ; for of such is the king- 
dom of heaven." It is delightful to see such 
evidences as these of the purifying and enno- 
bling influences of Christianity on our native 
converts. 

Among those who have been educated at the 
girls' school, there have been some very interest- 
ing and lovely characters. I regret that I have 
8 






114 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

not known them intimately enough to give a 
sketch of any one of them. Several are now 
wives of our native assistants. Others there 
were, who, having illustrated the beauty and ex- 
cellence of consistent Christian lives, have been 
early removed to a better world. Such were 
Ah-yuing, wife of Tsiang Vong-kweng, Yuih-ing, 
wife of Bao Kwang-hyi, and Ah-6, the faithful 
wife and helper of the lamented Rev. Kying Ling- 
yiu. The children educated in our boarding- 
schools are entirely free from most of the su- 
perstitions prevalent among their countrymen. 
They have an advantage in many ways over those 
brought to a knowledge of Christianity later in 
life. 

It may perhaps be considered strange, by 
many persons in this country, that our female 
pupils are allowed to observe the objectiona- 
ble practice of compressing the feet. In the 
course of years no doubt our native Christians 
will of their own accord, abandon it; but until 
they do so. our mission has not thought it best 
to make it "a case of conscience," or of dis- 
cipline. In Ningpo nearly ail respectable 
females have compressed feet; a large-footed 
woman, and a woman of abandoned character, 
are almost synonymous. In our mission families, 



CHINESE WOMEN. 115 

and in the different schools, there have always 
been a few girls whose feet have never been 
bound, and the mortification to which they were 
subjected, in consequence, has been almost un- 
bearable. In passing through the streets, on 
their way to and from church, they have been 
the subject of epithets and insulting remarks, to 
which it seems almost cruel to have exposed 
them. Another thing: it has heretofore been 
nearly impossible to make suitable marriages for 
those who, by not binding the feet, had ren- 
dered themselves objects of notoriety among their 
own people. Even the young men educated in 
our schools much preferred a wife with little feet. 
But I think a great change is taking place in 
this respect, and I quite hope that soon they will 
have a more correct taste. Among the school 
girls were some who were so mortified with the 
size of their feet that, when they were grown 
and had returned to their friends, they resorted 
to the expedient of placing a false heel under 
the middle of the foot, in such a way that they 
could wear a small shoe. The pantalets, which 
are always worn so as to cover the ankle, in this 
case also covered the natural heel, projecting 
over the top of the shoe. When this is well done 
the deception is perfect, though it is never a 



116 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

pretty foot, according to Chinese ideas. I should 
think it would be exceedingly uncomfortable; 
but " anything for fashion " seems to be a lady's 
motto the world over. I was pleased to see 
that the wife of one of the native assistants, who 
had resorted to the expedient above mentioned, 
afterwards, of her own accord, discarded the false 
shoe, and returned to the simplicity of nature ; 
not quite that either, for her foot had been some- 
what disfigured by compression, although the 
process had been incomplete. When a foot has 
been thoroughly bound, 'it is nearly if not quite 
impossible to dispense with the bandages, and to 
restore the foot to its natural shape. It would 
occasion great suffering, and, in fact, in many 
cases, it would be useless to attempt it. Some- 
times when the Chinese are remonstrated with 
on the wickedness or absurdity of this custom, 
they readily admit it ; but assert that, in their 
eyes, compressing the feet is not nearly as per- 
nicious a fashion as that of Western ladies com- 
pressing their waists. They insist upon think- 
ing — whether with reason or not there may be 
difference of opinion — that the usual slender 
waists of foreign ladies must be the result of our 
peculiar mode of dress ; and, as this involves 
compressing very vital parts of the body, it must 






CHINESE WOMEN. 117 

be more injurious to health than their practice 
of binding the feet. 

Who knows but that the Chinese are right ? 

Were our object in living among the Chinese 
simply to effect a change in either their outward 
deportment or national costume, it would cer- 
tainly be an unnecessary waste of time and 
strength ; as they are an exceedingly courteous 
and polite people, and their mode of dress is both 
graceful and convenient. As their fashions 
change but little year after year, they are saved 
thereby an endless amount of labor and an- 
noyance. 

The garments worn by males and females are 
very similar, but perfectly distinguishable to 
those accustomed to them. Both sexes wear 
loose flowing trousers, and a long double-breasted 
tunic or sacque, buttoned closely round the neck 
and at one side. The women generally wear 
gayer colors, and garments profusely ornamented 
with embroidery. At Ningpo they have a pret- 
tily made petticoat reaching nearly to their little 
feet, which they take special pains not to cover. 

The costume of the Chinese in different lo- 
calities differs but little, yet there are certain pe- 
culiarities which a native discovers at a glance, 
and which determine unmistakably to what part 



118 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

of the empire the wearer belongs. On the whole, 
I think a Ningpo lady's dress is prettier and 
more becoming than any of the northern cos- 
tumes, or of the more southern, as far as I am 
familiar with them. The Ningpo style of dress- 
ing the hair, though unnecessarily artificial and 
elaborate, is really becoming, and more tasteful 
than the stiffer coiffures of ladies elsewhere. 
The time consumed by women in China, in ar- 
ranging their hair, is much greater than is re- 
quired by foreign ladies ordinarily. I have been 
told by our female servants that they usually 
spend a full hour upon theirs ; while it is not 
unusual for persons of leisure to devote two hours 
to this object. But this waste of time, as it 
seems to us, is, I suppose, one of their most 
agreeable recreations, and helps to while away 
many an otherwise tedious hour. 

Women of the lower and middle classes are 
obliged to assist in performing the ordinary work 
of their families. They cook, wash, and sew, 
look after their children, etc., and are generally 
busy and industrious. In the monotonous rou- 
tine of these every-day duties, their time passes, 
if not very pleasantly, yet rapidly, and they are 
often at least negatively happy. But in the case 
of the wealthy, who consider labor a degradation, 






CHINESE WOMEN. 119 

and who, by their total want of education, are 
shut out from all intellectual pleasures, and, 
by the customs of the country, from much social 
intercourse, life must often prove indeed a weari- 
ness. Of course, as they know of nothing better, 
their situation is not so unbearable as it would be 
were they aware of the different position and 
the happy lives which women in some other parts 
of the world enjoy. They frequently occupy 
themselves with games of chance; cards and 
dominos, if I remember rightly, are some- 
times favorites ; and many, though not all, are 
taught embroidery, in which the Chinese ex- 
cel. In former times ladies of rank were often 
instructed in music, and performed upon the lute 
and other instruments. But nowadays this ac- 
complishment must be rare, as I have seldom 
seen a Chinese lady who had the slightest 
knowledge of any musical instrument whatever. 
Chinese females are greatly given to petty 
gossip. Many hours are passed in discussing 
household matters; matrimonial schemes; the 
characters and conduct of the different daugh- 
ters-in-law, in their family, or among their 
friends ; or the mothers-in-law, their kindness or 
tyranny, as the case may be; the beautiful 
feet of certain ladies of their acquaintance, or 






120 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

perhaps the piety of some relative ; or the re- 
puted power of a favorite deity, and the special 
advantages derived from worshipping at some 
particular temple. As the Chinese are an ex- 
ceedingly superstitious people, stories of ghosts 
and hobgoblins, and mysterious appearances 
of all sorts, form an exhaustless fund for an- 
ecdote and tale. Then there is the kindred 
subject of geomancy, or luck, which is rich in 
topics for conversation. So that, after all, " wo- 
man's tongue " need not remain quiet in China 
for want of subjects to talk about. 

But, oh, the utter worthlessness and vanity 
of all this foolish conversation! I long to 
have the women of China capable of some- 
thing nobler and better. And indeed there is 
no lack of natural ability. Their minds are 
bright and active, and all they need to place 
them on an equality with their favored sisters 
of other lands is a truly Christian education, 
and the purifying and ennobling influence of a 
life of faith and obedience to the precepts of the 
gospel. 

How dark, how utterly cheerless, must be the 
inner life of heathen women, whether their social 
position be high or low ! There must come times 
in the lives of even the most thoughtless among 



CHINESE WOMEN. 121 

them, when this vain, fleeting world, with its 
few illusory pleasures, appears in its true light, 
and a longing for something nobler and better 
must possess their souls. The book of nature, 
spread open before them, speaks to their hearts 
of the great Creator. They see his hand, they 
feel his breath, — they would fain know more. 
But, ah! can poor ignorant women, in their 
feeble searchings, "find out God"? Where 
their greatest sages have failed to give one dis- 
tinct utterance, is it to be expected that these 
poor creatures can gain a clear conception of 
Him who has indeed given glimpses of himself in 
his glorious works, and in the hearts and con- 
sciences of his creatures, but who, in his revealed 
word only, has \ ' brought life and immortality to 
light" ? And thus it is that, wearied and disap- 
pointed in their vain search, yet feeling that they 
must have something to fill the natural longings 
of their hearts, they turn to their own false sys- 
tems of idolatry. But these, though they may 
for a time divert the mind and allay its restless- 
ness, cannot impart hope and comfort for the 
future. When death is realized as at hand, 
when its cold touch is felt, then, oh, then, 
what can cheer and sustain them ? " Heart and 
flesh fail them," but no Saviour is near witb 



122 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

sweet assurances of his presence and love. There 
remains for them, for our poor lost sisters, only 
a " fearful looking for of judgment," and a vain 
shrinking from the retributions of the future, 
which they instinctively feel must await them. 
And if, as it sometimes happens, even conscience 
seems dead, and natural love of life has well- 
nigh faded away, and death is regarded with 
apathy, or mere stoical indifference, the case is 
not less pitiful; for when no veil can longer 
hide the dread realities of a future world, how 
fearful must be the awakening ! 

We women in Christian lands realize far too 
little how entirely our present elevated position 
is due to the prevalence of true religion. Ought 
we not, in gratitude for the distinguishing bless- 
ings conferred upon us, to make more strenuous 
efforts for the good of females in still heathen 
nations ? Not only is there the greatest need 
of schools for the education of children ; but the 
women also must be taught. There is room for 
the united efforts of hosts of women even in 
China. No closed "zenanas" prevent our 
reaching those whom we long to instruct. The 
females are secluded, to be sure, but patient, 
judicious effort will usually gain access even to 
the homes of the rich and powerful ; while thou- 



CHINESE WOMEN. 123 

sands of humbler dwellings welcome our pres- 
ence : and I am convinced that encouragements 
will not be wanting in the future, as certainly 
they have not been in the past, to reward every 
faithful worker in this humble sphere of Chris- 
tian effort. Not until Chinese women have been 
Christianized will they be raised from their 
present degraded position to fill their rightful 
place as the helps and companions of man. And 
shall not we, who are already experiencing the 
blessings and advantages of birth and training 
in Christian lands, be willing to forego some of 
the pleasures and luxuries of our favored homes, 
in order to carry these blessings to those who are 
now without them ? Freely we have received, 
let us freely give. 

But the work begun by us will be carried for- 
ward by the dear converts. There are no more 
effectual messengers to the hearts and homes of 
heathen females than they who, having experi- 
enced the power of the gospel in their own souls, 
can speak sympathizingly and lovingly to such 
as are still strangers to it. The experiment has 
repeatedly been tried. We have already, in 
almost every mission station, numbers of hum- 
ble Christians, who, by their consistent conduct, 
and improved dispositions, are " living epistles," 



124 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

which the heathen around them are obliged to 
acknowledge and appreciate. They are i; lights 
in a dark place," a " little leaven," which is 
working surely, though slowly, upon the dense 
mass of superstition and wickedness. And, as 
converts increase, it will not be difficult to find 
competent females willing to act as assistants to 
the missionary's wife, or other foreign teachers, 
in visiting among native families, and instructing 
the women and children. In my opinion, this 
work is scarcely second to any other in impor- 
tance and hopefulness. To say the least, it is a 
most interesting auxiliary to other departments 
of missionary operations. 

' : Elevate woman, if you would renovate socie- 
ty. " ' is a saying which has been so often quoted that 
it has become trite ; but it has not lost a whit of 
its truthfulness from its frequent repetition. 

There are not a few individuals, and among 
them I know of some excellent missionaries, who 
dislike the idea of unmarried ladies undertaking 
a mission, such as I have suggested, in a foreign 
and heathen land. Of course I do not expect 
that anything I can say would remove their 
prejudice ; but I can only record my own convic- 
tion that the work of visiting an~. teaching from 
house to house, day after day : giving instruction 



CHINESE WOMEN. 125 

m the truths of Christianity, and urging the 
obligation to believe and obey them, is in China 
an enimently practicable life-work, and one which 
promises to any one having "faith and patience " 
a sure and blessed reward. There would be 
some difficulties, some annoyances, and not a few 
discouragements. A life spent in this way of- 
fers very few u worldly enjoyments," while it 
involves many serious trials ; but, after all, the 
" hundred-fold, even in this life," I believe, will 
always be realized. Is not the consciousness 
that we are working for Christ, in direct obedi- 
ence to his command, enough to compensate for 
some discomforts, some losses and crosses? 
Among the happiest and most useful persons I 
have ever known were single ladies, who had 
given themselves and their all to this work of 
bringing heathen women to a knowledge of 
Christ. Are there not many, in this favored 
land, who would gladly join us in our efforts for 
the good of Chinese females ? I think I can 
assure such that, even if their trials should prove 
greater than they had anticipated, so also would 
their pleasures; and at the close of their lives, 
should they be long or short, they would have 
the unspeakable pleasure of having tried to do 
something for Jesus. 



126 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



CHAPTER VI. 

FIRST VISIT TO HANG-CHOW. 

During the year 1858, a very important 
meeting took place, in the north of China, between 
the plenipotentiaries of China, and of Russia, 
England, France, and the United States. This 
meeting resulted in the formation of new trea- 
ties, securing to foreigners greatly increased priv- 
ileges. There seemed no reason to doubt that 
the Chinese had acted in good faith, and that their 
new engagements would be strictly adhered to. 
We missionaries, as well as the friends of Christ's 
cause everywhere, were much encouraged, and 
felt that the time had come for extending our 
efforts to those regions from which we had until 
then been excluded. 

While the foreign ambassadors had returned 
to submit the newly formed treaties to their re- 
spective governments, previous to their ratifica- 
tion by the Chinese, the missionaries were 
earnestly considering in what way they might 



FIRST VISIT TO HANG-CHOW. 127 

best avail themselves of the anticipated openings. 
The American treaty, although it conferred but 
slight advantages for our work, had, owing to an 
adroit insertion of a clause insuring a share in 
the benefits obtained by the " most favored 
nations," made us participants in everything 
gained by any one of the new treaties, or of all 
combined. Although, as American citizens, we 
had no legal right to reside anywhere but at the 
open ports, yet fully expecting the speedy ratifi- 
cation of the other treaties, which'secured much 
more freedom, it was decided, early in the year 
1859, to try the practicability of commencing a 
new station at Hang-chow, the capital of the 
Che-kiang Province. As the climate of Ningpo 
was trying both to Mr. Nevius and myself, and 
for several other reasons, we very willingly 
undertook this new mission. 

Hang-chow is situated upon the Tsin-tang 
River, some distance from where it empties into 
the Hang-chow Bay. It is in the northern part 
of the province, about one hundred and thirty 
miles distant from Shanghai on the north-east, 
and Ningpo on the south-east. It is an exceed- 
ingly well-built city, surrounded by a wall more 
than thirty feet in height. Many of the houses, 
both shops and private residences, are large and 



128 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

costly ; and the place has an air of respectabil- 
ity and importance, very different from ordinary 
Chinese towns. Its streets, which are paved 
with stone, are clean and comparatively wide. 
The surrounding country is rich and populous. 
Although on two sides of the city there is a vast 
plain, in which rice is extensively cultivated, it 
does not seem as low and malarious as the 
region about Ningpo. Numerous canals inter- 
sect this plain, — some broad and deep, others 
narrow and winding here and there like by-roads 
in our own country. 

Boats filled with passengers or produce are 
seen on every hand ; and many are the evidences 
of great productiveness in the soil, and of the 
industry of the inhabitants. The town stands 
near the river, which is at high water about two 
miles wide. A mountain range stretches for 
many miles without the walls, in the southerly 
direction, and a spur of this range, in the southern 
part of the city, affords most desirable building 
sites. Almost as a matter of course these 
situations have been appropriated by the Budd- 
hists or Tauists. who have here numerous tem- 
ples, — or rather, they once had ; many of 
them have since been destroyed by the rebels. 

At the time of our residence there the popu- 






FIRST VISIT TO HANG-CHOW. 129 

lation of Hang-chow was estimated at about one 
million, and many years previous, when it was 
the metropolis of the empire, it must have been • 
much greater. Marco Polo, the Venetian travel- 
ler, who visited China about the year 1200, speaks 
of it, as "pre-eminent above all other cities in 
the world, in point of grandeur and beauty, as 
well as from its abundant delights, which might 
lead an inhabitant to imagine himself in para- 
dise; " and in another place describing Si-wu or 
West Lake, an artificial sheet of water just with- 
out the city wall, he says : " All around the lake 
are beautiful palaces and houses, so wonderfully 
built that nothing can possibly surpass them; 
they belong to the great and noble men of the 
city. In the middle of the lake are two islands, 
on one of which stands a palace so wonderfully 
adorned that it seems worthy of belonging to the 
emperor." Such description of the Hang-chow 
of the present would certainly be exaggerations ; 
but still I can easily imagine that in former 
times, when emperors honored it by their pres- 
ence, and it was the resort of the aristocracy 
and nobility of the land, it must have presented 
as gay and animated an appearance as one can 
well conceive of in China ; and I do not wonder 
at the harmless enthusiasm of the noted traveller. 
9 



130 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

Lest I might myself be thought to overcolor 
somewhat in my admiration of Hang-chow, I 
shall quote a description from a more modern 
writer. Barrow, in his " Travels in China," 
says of Si-wu and its surroundings: "The nat- 
ural and artificial beauties of this lake far ex- 
ceeded anything we had hitherto had an oppor- 
tunity of seeing in China. The mountains 
surrounding it were lofty, and broken into a 
variety of forms that were highly picturesque, 
and the valleys were richly clothed with trees 
of different kinds, among which three species 
were remarkably striking, not only by their in- 
trinsic beauty, but also by the contrast they 
formed with themselves and the rest of the trees 
of the forest. These were the camphor and tal- 
low trees, and the arbor-vitsa. The bright shin- 
ing green foliage of the first, mingled with the 
purple leaves of the second, and overtopped by 
the stately tree of life, of the deepest green, pro- 
duced a pleasing effect to the eye ; and the land- 
scape was rendered still more interesting by the 
very singular and diversified appearance of 
several thousand repositories of the dead, upon 
the sloping sides of the inferior hills. Here, as 
well as elsewhere, the sombre and upright cy- 
press was destined to be the melancholy compan- 



FIRST VISIT TO HANG-CHOW. 131 

ion of the tombs. Higher still, among the 
woods, avenues had been opened to admit of rows 
of small blue houses, exposed on white colon- 
nades, which, on examination, were also found 
to be mansions of the dead. The margins of the 
lake were studded with light, aerial buildings, 
among which one of more solidity and greater 
extent than the rest was said to belong to the 
emperor. The grounds were enclosed with brick 
walls, and mostly planted with vegetables and 
fruit-trees; but in some there appeared to be 
collections of such shrubs and flowers as are 
most esteemed in the country." 

Since this great city, with its environs, creates 
so striking an impression upon intelligent and 
travelled foreigners, it is not strange that the 
Chinese have regarded it with unbounded admi- 
ration. They have a saying, " Shang yiu tien- 
tang ; hia yiu Su Hang ; " that is, " Above is 
heaven, below are Su-chow and Hang-chow." I 
have not seen Hang-chow since it was captured 
and in part destroyed by the rebels. I suppose 
it will never regain the prosperity and impor- 
tance which it enjoyed before that deplorable 
event. However, to those who love beautiful 
natural scenery, it must ever be a place of much 
interest. 



132 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

A favorite evening excursion with us while we 
were living in Hang-chow was a stroll on the 
margin of pretty Si-wu. The emperor's palace, 
described by Marco Polo, was presented to the 
Buddhists, and it is many years since it was 
graced by the presence of royalty. But Si-wu 
is still a lovely spot. The water, though not 
deep, is clear and pure; pretty arched bridges 
and raised causeways cross it in different direc- 
tions, and there are many small temples or rest- 
houses at various points; and, if I remember 
rightly, there are several eating-houses or refec- 
tories for the accommodation of pleasure-seekers. 
Towards evening many of the rich families from 
the city come out for a row on the lake. There 
is a kind of boat nicely adapted to such purposes, 
having a roof and closed Venetians, so that fe- 
males within may see without being seen. It is 
a pretty sight, these flat-bottomed boats gliding 
here and there, bright eyes peeping through the 
lattice, and the sound of merry voices showing 
that even Chinese ladies sometimes have happy 
hearts, and are fond of innocent amusements. 

When Mr. Nevius first visited Hang-chow he 
was in company with Dr. Bradley, U. S. Consul 
at Ningpo, and Mr. Russell, of the Church of 
England Mission. It was at a time when for- 



FIRST VISIT TO HANG-CHOW. 133 

eigners but seldom penetrated so far into the in- 
terior; and perhaps a little spice of novelty and 
insecurity rather added to than detracted from 
the pleasure of the trip. They were one day 
visiting some place of interest in the neighbor- 
hood of Si-wu, when they suddenly found them- 
selves face to face with a party of Mandarins 
who had come out for a row on the lake. The 
officers seemed much startled, and not quite 
pleased with the encounter; and afterwards it 
was found impossible to obtain any services from 
th# natives, who evidently were much in awe of 
the magistrates. The gentlemen, moreover, were 
the objects of constant surveillance, one of the 
ya-mun underlings following them like a shadow. 
[Ya-mun is the name given to the officials' resi- 
dences.] At last, from necessity they requested 
this individual to procure them a boat in which 
to return to Ningpo. He did so very willingly, 
and they started for home. To their annoyance 
he took them directly to a ya-mun within the 
city, where they were detained a long while; 
and it was not until after most tedious delays, 
and they had begun to realize the fact that they 
were virtually prisoners, that they were for- 
warded on their journey. The officers were not 
aware that they were treating thus unceremoni- 



134 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

ously a representative of the government of the 
"country of the flowery flag," as Dr. Bradley 
was travelling strictly incognito. The gentlemen 
were amused, and I suspect somewhat vexed, to 
find, one morning, that they had as travelling 
companions a boat-load of criminals in chains, 
who were being carried from one city to another. 
After submitting to the annoyance of being 
transported at government expense for about 
half the distance to Ningpo, they insisted posi- 
tively upon their escort leaving them ; and, after 
much demurring on the part of the officers, t^ey 
were allowed to proceed by themselves. On 
this tour Mr. Russell and my husband had but 
little opportunity for preaching, but they made 
careful observations of Hang-chow, and its vicin- 
ity, and were convinced that it was a most im- 
portant centre for missionary operations, and 
ought to be occupied as soon as possible. 

It was no small trial to both Mr. Nevius and 
myself to think of leaving Ningpo. The work 
there was in a most interesting stage of progress ; 
and the pleasant circle of foreign friends gave 
it no small attraction as a place of residence. 
But when a missionary has already made the 
greater sacrifice of leaving his native land, and 
the fond ties that bind him there, he is seldom 



FIRST VISIT TO HANG-CHOW. 135 

unwilling to submit to other privations, if the 
cause of Christ seems to demand it. 

In the latter part of February my husband 
again visited Hang-chow, and while there, was 
the guest of Mr. Burdon, a missionary of the 
Church of England, whom he found spending 
some time in a boat without the city walls. 
During his visit, with the aid of our Ningpo 
assistants, they succeeded in hiring some apart- 
ments connected with a temple in the city, to 
which Mr. Burdon at once removed. In one of 
the suburbs about four miles distant from the 
city wall, my husband was so fortunate as to 
find a place to which he thought he might safely 
take me. It was an old monastery, and the 
rooms he engaged were small and dark, but he 
was glad to secure them until he could find bet- 
ter ones. Having completed the arrangements, 
he came home to Ningpo to spend a few days, 
and on the fourth of April we started together 
for Hang-chow. 

We left home about nine o'clock in the morn- 
ing, and, favored by both wind and tide, at even- 
ing were within a few miles of the city of Yu- 
yiao, where we have now a prosperous out-station. 
While obliged to lie at anchor several hours 
waiting a change of tide, the sight of a high hill 






136 OUR LIFE IN CHINA, 

not far off tempted Mr. Nevius to take a run on 
shore. Having been ferried over a branch of 
the river which intercepted his path, he made 
his way up to the summit of the hill, where there 
was a house, which in the dim twilight he mis- 
took for a Buddhist temple. It proved to be a 
farmer's dwelling, and its inmates were not a 
little startled by the sudden apparition of a 
"red-haired man," as foreigners are usually 
called. However, finding he could speak their 
language, and had evidently come with peaceful 
intent, they soon became composed, and enjoyed 
his visit greatly ; considering it as entertaining 
an episode in their uneventful life as a visit 
from a Chinese Mandarin, or Japanese " Tom- 
my" would seem, in a quiet farmer's family in 
America. When he reached the stream, on his 
return to the boat, he found that the ferryman 
who had promised to await him had already 
gone. It was dark, and there were no other 
boats near. When he attempted to get back by 
a circuitous route, his progress was constantly 
impeded by little canals and ditches. After 
wandering about until his patience was almost 
exhausted, he saw a light glimmering in the 
distance, and guided by that he soon reached a 
little hamlet. Here a good-natured man kindly 



FIRST VISIT TO HANG-CHOW. 137 

ferried him across the river and piloted him to 
our boat, a' distance of two or three miles. Such 
instances of true politeness are by no means un- 
common among the Chinese. 

On the evening of this day we were in some 
danger from pirates. Even the rivers of China 
are infested by small piratical craft ; and it is a 
sad fact that many of these, like the larger 
vessels of the same class on the coast, are in 
command of dissolute foreign sailors. Our boat- 
men were much alarmed by the report that a 
boat farther up the river had been attacked and 
plundered, and several persons either killed or 
wounded. On this account a large number of 
passenger-boats started in company, and we thus 
passed safely through the danger. 

We spent part of the next day at San-poh, our 
new out-station. 

On the morning of the 6th of April we 
crossed the Tsao-wo River, a stream of consider- 
able size, which empties into Hang-chow Bay. 
We had much difficulty in securing boats in the 
canal on the opposite side, as nearly all had been 
impressed into government service for the pur- 
pose of carrying troops to a neighboring city 
which was in rebellion. This canal, between the 
Tsao-wo and Tsin-tang Rivers, is the finest one I 



138 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

have ever seen. It is very broad, the water is 
deep, and its banks are much pleasanter than 
those of many of the rivers on the plains. 
Just before dark we reached Shao-hying, a 
large and flourishing city containing about 
eight hundred thousand inhabitants. It would 
have been our shortest route to have gone from 
here directly to Siao-san, a city opposite Hang- 
chow, on the Tsin-tang River ; but in order to 
avoid the more public thoroughfare, and a very 
inconvenient land carriage, we chose to leave the 
main canal, and take one which, branching off 
towards the south, would bring us to a point 
fifteen miles above the city, on the opposite bank 
of the river. 

After leaving Shao-hying, our route was 
entirely uninteresting. The weather was bad, 
our boat a poor one, and we were not sorry when, 
at about dusk the next evening, we reached Nyi- 
gyiao, the terminus of the canal. This is an un- 
walled town of no great importance, and, as I 
remember it, without the least beauty of any sort. 
Here the people were much startled by our ap- 
pearance, and afraid to have anything to do with 
us. We had such difficulty in getting a boat 
to take us down the river, that we were glad to 
secure one of the very poorest sort, even at an 



FIRST VISIT TO HANG-CHOW. 139 

exorbitant price. It was covered by a coarse 
bamboo matting, supported by a pole in the 
centre ; some rough rails covered the bottom ; it 
had no window nor doors ; in fact, no divisions 
nor partitions from stem to stern. We impro- 
vised screens by hanging up shawls and bed- 
quilts, and managed with some difficulty to put 
up our travelling bedstead in such a position that 
we imagined we might be sheltered from the rain 
and wind, at least in a measure. But we had 
not much sooner lain down to sleep than the rain 
forced its way through the matting and poured 
over our bed. The bed was moved to a drier 
spot, and again we essayed to sleep ; and again 
the relentless rain pursued and found us. 
Several times, through the course of the night, 
we were obliged to repeat the same operation . We 
had not rain alone to contend with, but the wind 
whistled through every crevice, and swayed our 
temporary partitions in a most threatening man- 
ner. I had drawn a warm hood tightly over my 
head, and — shall I tell it? — had also prevailed 
upon my husband to allow me to envelop his 
head in an old sun-bonnet, which I happened 
to have with me. He yielded under protest; 
but I believe he owed to it his escape from ill 
effects consequent upon such exposure. 






140 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

We were very glad when the morning dawned, 
and this most uncomfortable night was only a 
thing of the past. The morning was as charm- 
ing as the night had been unpleasant. The 
storm w^s over, the sun shone brightly, and we 
were gliding rapidly down the Tsin-tang River, 
and approaching the end of our journey. "Wc 
reached Loh-o-tah about ten in the forenoon. 
I was delighted with it. Though the monastery 
is small and going to decay, its situation is love- 
ly. It stands on the bank of the river, and is 
shaded by immense camphor-trees, and though 
but a short distance from a busy suburb, it is 
most quiet and retired. Mr. Nevius, on a pre- 
vious visit, had made an arrangement with the 
abbot for accommodations for himself and me ; 
but I think the old priest had hoped I might not 
actually come. However, he allowed us to take 
our rooms, and we spent the morning in arrang- 
ing them. 

The chief attraction of the place is the lofty 
pagoda, at the foot of which the monastery stands. 
Loh-o-tah [or Loh-o pagoda] is indeed a most in- 
teresting object. It was built more than a thou- 
sand years ago. It has seven stories, and on 
each story are eight windows. It is octagonal in 
form, and over two hundred feet high. The 



FIRST VISIT TO HANG-CHOW. 141 

diameter of its base is about seventy feet ; and 
its outer walls are twelve feet in thickness. It 
is built of large well-burnt bricks, which have 
stood the storms of centuries, and are still in a 
good state of preservation. It had formerly 
steps, and a balustrade leading from the bottom 
to the top on the outside ; but these have been 
quite destroyed by repeated strokes of lightning, 
and now it can only be ascended by the stairway 
on the inside. This tower was built in con- 
sequence of a superstitious notion that it would 
protect the bank from the encroachments of the 
river, by offering resistance to a remarkable tidal 
wave, which sweeps up the river with almost 
resistless impetuosity. 

It happened that on the day of our arrival at 
Loh-o-tah there were crowds of worshippers; 
many of whom remained throughout the night, 
chanting, beating drums, and making prostrations. 
I noticed that the women here seemed particular- 
ly devout. They would kneel before the idols, 
and strike their foreheads upon the floor with 
such force as to produce a hollow sound, which 
we could hear distinctly where we were standing, 
twenty or thirty feet distant. After dark the 
pagoda was illuminated, and nothing could be 



142 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

more beautiful than the appearance it then pre« 
sented. 

The next day Mr. Burdon, who was still 
living in the city, came out to pass the day with 
us. At evening we accompanied him some dis- 
tance on his return, and, on our way home, 
visited a Tauist temple, called Uh-hwang Miao, 
which crowns the summit of a hill. We met 
here an old Ningpo man, whose case was some- 
what peculiar. He had brought to this temple 
all his little property, the earnings of a lifetime, 
and in exchange was allowed to spend the rem- 
nant of his days within its sacred precincts. 
He had two small rooms, or closets, in one of 
which he slept, and the other he had made an 
oratory, where, kneeling before a picture of his 
god, he spent much of his time muttering prayers, 
and counting his beads, and frequently kneeling, 
and knocking his forehead in the way I have 
mentioned when alluding to women's worship in 
the temples. By the way, we found this devotee, 
though an inmate of a Tauist temple, worship- 
ping a Buddhist deity, without apparently sup- 
posing there could be any inconsistency in so 
doing. He had gone through with the performance 
called keh-teo, or knocking the head, so often., 
that it had raised a large callous protuberance 






FIRST VISIT TO HANG-CHOW. 143 

on his forehead. He was a neatly dressed, cheery 
old man, whose white flowing beard and vener- 
able appearance, interested us much. My hus- 
band spoke to him of the better way, and be- 
sought him to believe in Jesus, whose blood 
alone could cleanse his heart, and gain him 
those eternal blessings for which he longed. He 
listened respectfully, but we had no reason to 
think he apprehended very clearly the wonder- 
ful truths which he then heard for the first time. 
Poor old man, so near the eternal world, yet so 
misguided, so deluded ! 

While staying at the Loh-o monastery we had 
crowds of visitors. It was the season of the year 
particularly devoted to worship in the temples, 
which were thronged with both men and women 
as I had never seen them in Ningpo. Many of 
the women coming to our temple, hearing of the 
foreign lady sojourning there, and actuated by 
curiosity alone, would desire to see me. Among 
those who requested an interview was the wife of 
the highest officer in the province. I have al- 
ways regretted that I happened to be so situated 
at the time of her visit as not to be able to re- 
ceive her. 

One day Mr. Burdon, Mr. Nevius, and my- 
self visited several temples situated within a few 



144 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

miles of Loh-o-tah. It was a day which I can- 
not forget. I never, either before or since, saw 
anything like the multitudes of worshippers who 
were wending their way towards the different 
monasteries. One scene, in particular, burned 
itself into my memory. As alms-giving is con- 
sidered peculiarly meritorious by votaries of the 
Buddhist sect, the well-known fact is taken ad- 
vantage of by beggars from all parts of the 
country ; and when the pilgrims approach their 
sacred places they find themselves besieged by a 
motley crowd of as wretched a class of human 
beings as this world affords. Blind and lame, 
sick or starving, some crawling along the ground, 
some running and leaping, they constantly placed 
themselves in such positions that we could not 
possibly avoid seeing them. Sick and horror- 
struck at the sight of some poor creature with a 
foot or a hand actually eaten off by disease, we 
would turn away, and our eyes would fall upon 
some monstrous deformity, or heart-rending suf- 
ferer. I had never even imagined such a loath- 
some spectacle as that of the beggars, as they 
lined the way for a long distance before the en- 
trance to the Tien-choh temple. They resorted 
to all sorts of expedients to gain the attention of 
passers-by, and to secure their alms. Some be- 



FIRST VISIT TO HANG-CHOW. 145 

sought us, in a plaintive, sorrowful tone, hard to 
resist, to pity and help them ; others demanded 
our assistance in a most peremptory manner, 
with loud and boisterous voices. Some assumed 
an air of great sanctity, and, while they chanted 
their prayers, held out their hands to receive the 
" cash," which they did not doubt such extreme 
piety would extract even from " hearts of stone ; " 
while others, quite as sensible, had taught their 
little dogs to kneel and hold a cash-basket sus- 
pended from their mouths, in which to collect 
the gifts of the charitable. It would have been 
easy to spend a fortune on these poor mendi- 
cants; but, having left home without expecting 
such demands, we had taken very few "cash," 
and thus I fear earned the reputation of being 
less kindly disposed than we really were. 

While at Tien-choh-z, the gentlemen at- 
tempted a short address to the people assembled 
in one of the courts. But a young and intelli- 
gent-looking priest came out, and, with a very 
excited and indignant manner, requested us to 
leave ; saying, with some reason, that, if the for- 
eigners did not themselves believe in that kind 
of worship, they had no right to interrupt such 
as did. 

On leaving Tien-choh-z, we went to another 
10 



146 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



very pretty monastery, called Yuih-ling. Here 
we met an individual who I think deserved the 
name of "fop." He was an exquisite, who 
evidently rested in the idea that the clay from 
which he was moulded was very different from that 
of ordinary mortals. He certainly admired him- 
self unboundedly. A servant stood constantly 
at his side, and, every moment or two, refilled or 
adjusted his tobacco water-pipe, and held it while 
his master smoked. This gentleman had a re- 
markable fondness for watches, having three on 
his person, one or two of which were suspended 
in conspicuous positions on the outside of his 
garments. We had been introduced to him but 
a few moments, when in an adroit way he turned 
the conversation to the subject of watches. As 
ours were out of sight, I think he half suspected 
we had none. I presume he regarded even me 
with some degree of respect when he found that I, 
also, carried a time-piece. 

Before returning home we visited a Buddhist 
monastery, which has since been destroyed by 
the rebels. It was near the city walls, and was 
much frequented by the citizens. It had an im- 
mense hall containing five hundred idols. They 
were in size somewhat larger than a very large 
man, and each stood or sat upon a high pedes- 



FIRST VISIT TO HANG-CHOW. 147 

tal. The j were, as works of art, much better 
executed than is common in Chinese temples, 
and must have cost enormous sums of money. 
A visit to this hall seemed something like going 
to see a collection of statuary. 

There was at this monastery a well, which 
had a strange story connected with it. It is so 
thoroughly Chinese, that I must try to recall 
it. There was, many years ago, — how many I 
know not, — at this Tsing-z monastery, a monk, 
so holy and devout, that to him the gods vouch- 
safed miraculous gifts, and such a degree of dis- 
cernment of spirit, good and evil, as has rarely 
been possessed by mortals. One day this holy 
man saw a fair young maiden, with downcast 
eyes, and modest demeanor, entering the sacred 
portals. Reverently she approached an idol 
shrine, as if to worship. But no sooner had the 
eyes of the monk rested upon her than he de- 
tected her true character. She was an incarna- 
tion of the fire-god; and, notwithstanding her 
grace and beauty, her presence boded ill to the 
temple. Consternation and dismay spread 
through the monastery. A few days later their 
worst fears were realized, and the original Tsing-z 
was burned to the ground. ' ' Be comforted, dear 
brothers," said the holy monk above mentioned, 



148 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



" What can this fellow 
"He is mad," said others. 



"your temple shall speedily be rebuilt. I my- 
self must leave you for a time ; but on such a 
day I wish you to go to the well, which is in 
the south-east corner of the central court, and 
draw from it the. materials you will certainly 
find there. He forthwith departed, and, on reach- 
ing an immense forest in the province of Fuh- 
kien, several hundred miles distant, he began to 
cut down trees, and throw them in a well which 
was near at hand, 
mean? " said some. 
But, paying no attention to these malicious re- 
marks, he continued his labors. The brethren 
at Tsing-z, obedient to his command, proceeded, 
at the time appointed, to the well, and found 
most beautiful timbers waiting to be drawn out. 
They worked night and day, but could not ex- 
haust the store. For every one removed another 
took its place, until, worn out with fatigue, they 
began to murmur. "I would there were no 
more ! " exclaimed one tired laborer, as he was 
striving to raise a log of unusual size and beauty. 
No sooner were the words uttered, than he felt 
his burden become immovable ; and not the strength 
of all the brothers combined could stir it. And 
there it remains to this day, proof positive of the 
truth of the story. A priest is always in attend- 



FIRST VISIT TO HANG-CHOW. 149 

ance who, for a small fee, lowers a lamp down to 
the edge of the water, and reveals the mysteri- 
ous object. We ourselves saw it. How it was 
conveyed from distant Fuchow to its present po- 
sition is inexplicable, except on the supposi- 
tion of an underground canal. It is truly re- 
markable that such a silly story can be credited 
by any one ; but I think it is at least partially 
believed by great numbers. 

I fear an account of so many temples may 
prove tedious ; but I wish to speak of just one 
more, which we visited a few days later. It 
is the Yuing-si monastery, situated among the 
hills, several miles from Hang-chow. It is more 
like a " fashionable watering-place " in Western 
lands than anything I have elsewhere seen in 
China. It does not exhibit the evidences of de- 
cline so common in many similar institutions. 
On the contrary, judging from the number and 
character of the worshippers present on the day 
of our visit, it must be as flourishing as ever. 
Behind the large buildings devoted to the idols 
are numerous apartments occupied by the monks, 
of whom there were in all five hundred, and by 
guests sojourning there. I made the acquaint- 
ance of several very interesting ladies from the 
city of Su-chow. They, in company with other 



150 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

members of their family, were spending some 
time during the spring at Yuing-si, employing 
themselves either in acts of worship, or in social 
intercourse with others of their own class, who 
were there for the same object. These ladies 
were elegantly dressed, and had much ease and 
suavity of manner. We mutually enjoyed our 
short interview, and parted with the hope of 
meeting at some future time. The courts and 
corridors of ,this immense establishment were so 
numerous and intricate that I could never have 
found my way through them without a guide. 
Nearly all the rooms on the second floor were 
used as dormitories for the priests, or for the 
numerous guests. In some of these rooms we no- 
ticed a most unusual article of furniture in Chi- 
nese houses, namely, a bathing-tub. The kitchen 
and dining-room were necessarily on a most ex- 
tensive scale. The former contained numbers 
of those immense iron kettles, which I have before 
alluded to, filled with rice and vegetables boiling 
for dinner. After leaving the temple, as we 
were passing through a long, winding avenue of 
pine and bamboo, we met some boys with a few 
pretty gray squirrels, which they wished us to 
buy, — not to carry away with us, but to set free 
again, in order to acquire merit, which is sup- 



FIRST VISif TO HANG-CHOW. 151 

posed to accrue from the practice called " fang- 
seng" (letting go alive). A little further on a 
long, large snake was offered us for the same 
purpose. 

We were then on our way to visit an institu- 
tion such as can be found, I presume, nowhere 
but in China, and very seldom even there. It 
was an "Asylum for Animals," connected with 
the monastery we had just left. Horses and 
donkeys, buffaloes and oxen, sheep and pigs, 
with numbers of fowls of every sort, are brought 
to this place, in order to secure merit by so doing. 
It is supposed that animals which live and die 
under the fostering influence of so holy an in- 
stitution as the Yuing-si monastery are in a fair 
way to rise high in the .scale of existence in 
another state. It is then only natural that 
many a favorite old animal is thus given a friendly 
shove by those whom it has served faithfully in 
the past. But in many cases I imagine that no 
motive of affection has room for operation. In 
one apartment were numbers of pigs, in another 
several bullocks and buffaloes, in another were 
quantities of chickens and geese. The latter, 
with a few donkeys, seemed to be the musicians 
of the establishment. This was not at all an 
agreeable place to visit, and we remained but a 



1 52 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

few moments. A little distance from the asy- 
lum is the animals' burying-place, — a deep pit. 
with a high wall round it. 

A few days after our expedition to the Yuing- 
si monastery, my husband received a visit from a 
high military officer. He was passing our tem- 
ple with a large detachment of troops to encamp 
in the neighborhood, and, hearing of Mr. Nevius' 
presence, called to see him. He was very polite 
and affable, and, having had a slight acquaintance 
with foreigners at the open ports, was compara- 
tively well informed concerning Western lands. 
When my husband returned his visit, he was re- 
ceived with great ceremony, — a line of soldiers 
being drawn up on each side of the walk from the 
outer court to the reception-room, where the 
ta-jin [great man] was seated. He was exceed- 
ingly cordial, and they conversed for an hour on 
a variety of subjects, such as foreign customs 
and manners, ships, houses, agriculture, and fire- 
arms. Much also was said in explanation of the 
Christian religion, and the object of our work in 
China. Tea and tiffin were brought in, as a 
matter of course. 

When my husband came home from the city 
that evening, he brought me a piece of news for 
which I was not at all prepared. After leaving 



FIRST VISIT TO HANG-CHOW. 153 

the ya-mun, he visited an old Tauist temple on 
the Ts-yiang-san, — the highest hill within the 
city walls. To his surprise, when he suggested 
to the old priest in charge to rent us a few 
rooms in one end of the temple, his offer was ac- 
cepted. Realizing the importance of such a step, 
and how much depended upon it [for a foreign 
lady had never before lived at Hang-chow, and it 
was very doubtful whether it would be per- 
mitted], it was not until we had spent a day or 
two in serious deliberation, and prayer for guid- 
ance, that we came to a final decision upon it. 
Then, without further delay, we moved very 
quietly to 6ur new quarters. Our few articles 
of furniture were carried in by coolies. I went 
in a closed sedan, in order to avoid observation, 
and Mr. Nevius rode the pony. A few curious 
glances, from persons whom we met, made me 
aware that I was noticed as a foreigner ; but we 
reached our new home without the least moles- 
tation. Mr. Burdon had sometime since been 
obliged to return to Shanghai, so that we were 
quite alone, there being no other foreigners 
nearer than Ningpo and Shanghai. The Tauist 
temple, of which, as I have said, our rooms were 
a part, was a forlorn old building, but its sit- 
uation was most charming. Although only a 



154 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



few moments' walk from some of the most popu- 
lous parts of the city, it was as quiet as the 
country. It stood on almost the highest point 
of the hill, and commanded an extended view. 
Below us lay the city, spread out like a map, with 
streets and alleys branching in every direction, 
and beyond it flowed the broad Tsin-Tang River, 
with blue hills bounding the horizon in the dis- 
tance. Our presence becoming known, we began 
to receive visits from many of the common people, 
and also from persons connected with the ya- 
muns. These were invariably respectful, but 
they seemed to find it difficult to understand the 
motive which had brought us there, or by what 
authority we had ventured to settle among 
them. 

Some of our Chinese friends suggested that, if 
we should follow the native custom, and pay our 
respects to those in authority, our position would 
be less doubtful in the eyes of the people. At 
this time Mr. Culbertson and Mr. Gayley of 
Shanghai happened to pay us a visit. They were 
delighted with Hang-chow, and the prospects 
of our mission. Fully agreeing with Mr. Ne- 
vius in the expediency of the plan mentioned 
above, they accompanied him on a long round of 
visits. The day previous they sent their cards, 



FIRST VISIT TO HANG-CHOW. 155 

and in every case, with one exception, an answer 
was returned signifying pleasure at the proposed 
interview. Hang-chow, being the capital of the 
province, has a large number of officers of vari- 
ous grades residing there, and it would have been 
an endless task to visit all; so the gentle- 
men selected only those in high positions. The 
reception was all that could have been desired. 
One of the chief officers asked a great many 
questions, seeming particularly curious about our 
religion and our native converts. " How much 
money do you spend in the course of the year ? 
Do you pay the Chinese for becoming Christians, 
and if so, how much ? Do you keep a record of 
the names of the converts ? How do you know 
that when you have their names you have also 
their hearts ? " he asked ; and also whether there 
were any Christians in Hang-chow. These ques- 
tions were seriously asked, and not at all in a 
facetious spirit. He evidently desired infor- 
mation upon those subjects of which he was natu- 
rally ignorant. The provincial governor alone 
did not return the visit in person, but, as is com- 
mon, sent an inferior officer with his card the 
same day. On the following morning our Shang- 
hai friends left us, and my husband made the 
remaining official calls by himself. Before he 



156 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

had completed his tour of the ya-muns, the officers 
began to arrive to return his visits. As I was 
only " the mean woman of the inner apartment," 
as these grand gentlemen are wont to style 
their wives, it was not to be thought of that in 
my husband's absence I should venture to en- 
tertain his guests; therefore they only left their 
cards and departed. Towards evening, after Mr. 
Nevius' return, he received the supreme judge, 
who sat a long while, and conversed very affably. 
He inquired if we were acting by the authority 
and consent of our king, in thus coming to live 
in Hang-chow. These numerous interviews with 
educated men — of course I mean educated in a 
Chinese sense — gave an opportunity to impart 
much information concerning our objects in com- 
ing to China, the Christian religion, and other 
important matters ; and the result was very fa- 
vorable in many ways. 

Our position became more comfortable, and 
numbers of the citizens came daily to visit us. 
As I was careful to avoid unnecessarily infring- 
ing Chinese rules of etiquette, whenever guests 
were announced I withdrew to my proper place, 
"the inner apartments." Between the two 
rooms was a lattice with only a paper covering, 
and I used to avail myself of a slight aperture 



FIRST VISIT TO HANG-CHOW. 157 

in the screen to get a glimpse of the " lords of 
creation," as they sat conversing without. In 
this I was only conforming to a Chinese cus- 
tom. I have often heard my husband and 
other gentlemen remark that, when visiting Chi- 
nese friends, they were frequently attracted by 
a slight rustling at the lattice, and, glancing 
towards it, would see a row of bright black eyes 
gazing upon them through holes punched in the 
paper. 

We were fortunate in having with us a ser- 
vant, who, from long connection with ya-muns, 
was perfectly accustomed to the required eti- 
quette in intercourse with officials, and indeed 
with visitors of all sorts. This was Hyiao-fong, — 
a man who has since given us great anxiety and 
trouble, but who for years was a most faithful 
and attached servant. We can but hope that, 
though he has wandered far, and brought dis- 
grace upon his Christian profession, he will yet 
be brought to repentance, and be found among 
Christ's own at his appearing. 

I had not as many female visitors, while living 
within the city, as at Loh-o-tah ; still there were 
a few each day. On one occasion, hearing that 
guests were awaiting me in the parlor, I went 
in to see them, and, in a moment, to my utter 



158 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

astonishment, found myself surrounded by seven 
or eight women, all on their knees, going 
through the ceremony of " knocking heads." 
Not accustomed to being an object of adoration, 
and, in fact, feeling somewhat confused by this 
demonstration, I fear I was almost too peremp- 
tory in my manner, as I begged them to rise, 
explaining that our customs scarcely allowed 
that peculiar mode of salutation. These women 
were the servants of an officer's wife, and had 
been sent by their mistress to pay her respects, 
by proxy, to the foreign lady, with the request 
that I would return the visit, at her residence. 
I fully intended to do so, but was prevented by 
causes which I could not control. 

Besides Mr. Culbertson and Mr. Gayley al- 
ready mentioned, we had at different times the 
pleasure of seeing Mr. and Mrs. Reuben Lowrie, 
and Mr. and Mrs. John, of Shanghai ; the former 
spent a few hours with us at the Loh-o-tah, the 
latter at our home in the city. None of our 
Ningpo friends visited Hang-chow while we 
were there ; but we received frequent letters and 
tokens of kind remembrance. 

One day, while calling upon a certain manda- 
rin Mr. Nevius chanced to remark that the fla- 
vor of the tea he was drinking was peculiarly 



FIRST VISIT TO HANG-CHOW. 159 

fine. No sooner were the words uttered than the 
officer replied, "I shall give myself the pleasure 
of presenting you some." And, sure enough, in 
the course of a day or two a box of the same 
sort was brought us, with the officer's compli- 
ments. Now this seems a very trifling thing ; 
but, in fact, it was only the beginning of a rather 
onerous exchange of courtesies. When the offi- 
cer was calling in person a few days later, he es- 
pied a common lithograph, — which, by the way, 
Mr. Nevius had placed in a somewhat conspicu- 
ous position, hoping it might take the fancy of 
his expected guest, as it did ; and, upon his ex- 
pressing his admiration of the picture, he was at 
once told that he must accept it as a present. 
It was now his turn to feel that he had been 
somewhat too indiscreet in his praises ; but he 
took the picture, and we would have been glad 
if that had been the end of it. But no ; soon 
after he left, an inferior officer arrived from his 
ya-mun, bringing with him two coolies, who 
carried between them a burden consisting of six 
hams, and eight boxes of very choice tea. We 
would gladly have declined the proffered gift, 
but the messenger insisted upon leaving it, say- 
ing that his master would be much oflended 
and very indignant should any part of it be re- 






160 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

turned. In the then state of our affairs, Mr. Ne- 
vius thought it best to accept the civility, though 
well aware that one object of such unbounded 
generosity was to secure some valuable foreign 
article in return. In accordance with the Chi- 
nese custom, he presented the messenger and 
the coolies each a sum of money, and returned 
with his thanks the message that, " as soon as he 
could obtain it from Shanghai, he should present 
the ta-jen, with a spy-glass, as an insignificant 
token of his appreciation of his distinguished re- 
gard." In due time the spy-glass arrived, and 
was presented as had been promised. 

After the interchange of visits with the offi- 
cers, we met with only respectful treatment from 
all classes ; and, from our pleasant experience in 
Hang-chow, we felt more than ever its desirable- 
ness as a missionary station. We were obliged 
to go to Ningpo for a time ; but before leaving 
made arrangements to come back in the course 
of a few weeks, to take up our abode perma- 
nently. Our rooms, having no glass windows, 
and being in every way much dilapidated, needed 
many repairs, and Mr. Wong, the owner of the 
temple, willingly consented that we should make 
any alterations in our part of the house which 
we thought necessary. This Mr. Wong was a 



FIRST VISIT TO HANG-CHOW. 161 

very singular character. Though a direct de- 
scendant of one of the gods of our temple, he 
was not in any respect godlike ; in fact he was 
such a "Jack Falstaff" in looks and character, 
that we often gave him that name when speaking 
of him. On his first visit he assumed a de- 
cidedly superior manner, as became a person of 
such exalted lineage ; but after conversing for a 
short time he seemed to find the assumption of 
such dignity too fatiguing, and became both more 
natural and more agreeable. When we left for 
Ningpo he, together with a crowd of two or 
three hundred persons, came to see us off. 

Our journey back to Ningpo was not particu- 
larly eventful. One night I had a somewhat 
unpleasant experience. In consequence of over- 
fatigue I became very ill. When we arrived at 
a place where we were obliged to leave one boat, 
and walk some little distance to another, I was 
quite unable to undertake the exertion, and, as 
we could not at that hour of night procure a 
chair and chair-bearers, my kind husband took 
me in his strong arms and carried me himself. 
When we reached the other side, we found the 
canal so low that the usual boats were not there, 
but had been obliged to lie in deeper water 
several miles distant. Mr. Nevius could find 
11 



162 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

only a very small and dirty boat, in the bottom 
of which we spread our mattress, so that I need 
not be obliged to sit up, and were soon again in 
motion. Violent pain, distressing nausea, a 
filthy boat, and a dark, rainy night, are not very 
delightful concomitants, but they are neverthe- 
less very good discipline. 

After remaining a week or two in Ningpo 
Mr. Nevius returned to Hang-chow to begin re- 
pairs on our rooms. Our landlord, supposing, 
from our anxiety to remain in the city, that we 
would give almost any rent which he chose to 
demand, became very troublesome, — so much so 
that Mr. Nevius found rooms in another temple. 
It was not until he thought he was in danger of 
losing us altogether that he became more rea- 
sonable, and consented to a written agreement 
to lease us the house, for a term of years, at only 
a fair and just compensation. He was also diffi- 
cult to please in the contemplated improvements. 
However, at length carpenters and masons were 
at work, and the dark, old rooms with a new 
floor, whitewashed walls, and glass windows, as- 
sumed a more cheerful appearance. 

Our two native assistants had a comfortable 
house situated in the heart of the city. It was 
rented from a gentleman by the name of Vi, 



FIRST VISIT TO HANG-CHOW. 163 

who from the first showed us much kindness. 
He was so much attached to Mr. Nevius that he 
requested the privilege of becoming a sort of 
adopted brother; and, in order to consummate 
the relationship according to the Chinese cus- 
tom, he wished us to adopt his little daughter. 
Under the circumstances we hardly felt at lib- 
erty to decline the flattering offer. The rela- 
tion was merely nominal, and did not necessa- 
rily involve any very important duties ; as the 
child would remain for the most part with its 
parents. Our Chinese advisers informed us 
what would be expected on our part in complet- 
ing the agreement. The principal feature of 
the affair was an interchange of presents. I find 
myself unable to remember of just what these 
consisted, with one exception : I have still a gar- 
ment made of some pretty silver-gray silk which 
Mr. Vi gave me at that time. The little girl 
was called in Chinese Ts-yuong, but her parents 
desired that I should give her a new or addition- 
al name, and I called her Amelia, or, as the na- 
tives pronounced it, Ah-me-le, after my friend 
Mrs. Reuben Lowrie, of Shanghai. She spent 
a good deal of time at our house, and I became 
much interested in her. She was bright and 
engaging, and would have been pretty, except 



164 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

for a bad scar over her left eye, which gave 
her a peculiar, and not very pleasant, expression. 
There was, however, a serious drawback to a very- 
close intimacy between us, little Amelia having 
when we first knew her a contagious cutaneous 
eruption, which , though common in China, is, to 
say the least, not agreeable. She seemed fond 
of me, and it was remarkable to notice how nat- 
urally she adapted herself to her position when 
with us, not seeming to feel the least dread of 
the ' ' barbarians ' ' she must formerly have con- 
sidered us. 

Mr. Vi had once been wealthy ; but, in conse- 
quence of opium-smoking, and idle and lux- 
urious habits which it involves, his property was 
gradually wasting away. Of late, his wife had 
undertaken the management of their financial 
concerns, and had given her husband only a lim- 
ited allowance to spend on his opium. They 
were both very desirous that he should be cured 
of his bad habit, and for this purpose he accom- 
panied Mr. Nevius to Ningpo, and placed him- 
self under the care of the late Dr. Parker, of the 
Scotch Presbyterian Mission. A cure was .ef- 
fected; but unfortunately, like most of his class, 
his reformation was not permanent, and after a 
short abstinence he returned to his pipe. 



FIRST VISIT TO HANG-CHOW. 165 

The subsequent history of this family was as 
sad as could well be imagined. When, a year 
or two later, the Tai-ping rebels captured Hang- 
chow, they took Mr. and Mrs. Vi and their 
children, together with many others, prisoners, 
and drove them before them for some distance. 
Coming to a canal, they said to poor Mr. Vi, as 
if it were something for which he had reason to 
be very grateful, " We'll not kill you ; you can 
just jump into that canal." It was in vain he 
plead for his life. They forced him into the 
water, and each time that he rose to the sur- 
face, and attempted to regain the shore, stood 
ready with drawn swords to beat him back, until 
finally he sank beneath the water. Mrs. Vi 
they obliged to go with them and act as a servant. 
She was employed in making over articles of 
clothing which they had taken from others ; and 
when, as was often the case, she failed to please, 
they beat her most cruelly. After a few weeks 
or months, she and her three little children 
were allowed to return to her desolate home. 
At that time we were in another part of the 
country, and utterly unable to give them assist- 
ance. It is years since we have had any tidings 
from them, but I hope hereafter to hear of them, 
and possibly to see them. None of the Vi fam- 



166 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

ily ever expressed interest in Christianity ; their 
affection for us was entirely personal. 

After Mr. Nevius had succeeded in commenc- 
ing the repairs on' our house, he arranged mat- 
ters so that they might safely be left in the 
hands of the native assistants, and returned to 
Ningpo. It was always pleasant to get back 
there. We enjoyed exceedingly meeting our 
missionary friends, and none the less our native 
Christians. I have often been asked, " Are the 
Chinese in the least affectionate? " Could they 
who doubt it hear our Chinese friends' cordial 
greetings when we meet them, or witness their 
tearful farewells at parting, their question would 
be answered. 



TEMPORARY SOJOURN AT HANG-CHOW. 167 



CHAPTER VH. 

TEMPORARY SOJOURN AT HANG-CHOW. 

The favorable reception we had met with on 
our first visit at Hang-chow seemed sufficient ev- 
idence of the practicability of missionary families 
residing there ; and, when we returned the second 
time, it was with the expectation of making it 
our home. For this reason it was necessary to 
carry with us articles for house-keeping. A few 
vessels were constantly going from Ningpo to 
Hang-chow by sea, and, although we were aware 
that that route was not considered quite safe, we 
thought that, having so much furniture to trans- 
port, it was better to attempt it than to go by 
the usual overland journey, which was always 
fatiguing, and, on account of having so much 
freight, would also be very expensive. We left 
Ningpo on Monday, the twenty-seventh of June, 
at about eleven o'clock in the evening, that 
being the hour when the tide was favorable. 
Our boat was a rough, but strong, little craft, 



168 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



which, when our tables, chairs, book-cases, etc., 
had been stowed away in it, was somewhat 
crowded. The second evening we encountered a 
fearful gale, and, had not our boatmen been well 
acquainted with the locality, we might not have 
weathered it. As it was, we ran on, notwith- 
standing the storm, until we reached a safe 
anchorage, where we passed the night. The next 
forenoon we had sailed only a short distance 
when we again came to anchor, as the boatmen 
insisted upon waiting until the next day, when 
the higher tide would make it safer to pass the 
shoals which lay just before us in our course. 

At the mouth of the Tsin-tang River occurs 
the phenomenon of the bore, or tidal wave, seen, 
I believe, in such a degree, in only two or three 
other localities. We had heard accounts of it 
from the natives, but did not realize how fearful 
it was until we ourselves encountered it. I can- 
not give a better idea of this part of our trip to 
Hang-chow than by quoting from my husband's 
journal of that time, commencing Wednesday, 
June twenty-ninth. " We are now just outside 
the point, where the remarkable bore, or tidal 
wave, commences to form, and the anxiety of the 
boatmen is excited to an unexpected degree. The 
danger apprehended is that of striking on the 






TEMPORARY SOJOURN AT HANG-CHOW. 169 

shoals in the midst of the rushing tide, and 
being overturned and broken to pieces. Our 
boatmen insisted upon remaining at this place 
until to-morrow, when the tide, being a little 
higher, will make the passage more practicable. 
Our boat has been lying up on the mud all day, 
and, in order to gain a better shelter from the 
sun, we have spent several hours in a temple 
close by. In the cool of the evening we enjoyed 
a delightful ramble on the brow of the hill above 
us, where we had a fine view of the bay and the 
islands which intersperse it. When we returned 
from our walk we found the boatmen sacrificing 
to the deities of the place, in order to secure their 
assistance and protection for our anticipated jour- 
ney on the morrow. After tea I found them 
very interested auditors, while I spoke to them of 
the folly of idolatry, of the power and omnipres- 
ence of Him who controls all creatures and 
events, and of salvation through the Redeemer. 
" Thursday, June 30th. — We were told that 
one tide would certainly sweep us from Ken-p'u 
to Hang-chow, but here we are laid up on the 
mud again, near the village of Ong-ko-bu, 
about fifty l li ' from our destination. This morn- 
ing the wind was against us, and the boatmen 
seemed afraid either to propose to detain us 



170 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



another day, or to proceed on our way. Though 
tbey had already engaged two additional men, 
who professed to be familiar with the passage, 
they here hired another man from the shore, 
supposed to be a still safer pilot. Not far from 
our last night's anchorage the bay suddenly con- 
tracts, and the tide, being rapidly forced into a 
smaller compass, rushes into the channel with 
great rapidity. When it meets with opposing 
winds, sharp, angry waves are formed. The pas- 
sage is interesting and exciting in the extreme. 
The water in some places foams and boils in a 
furious manner ; the helmsman watches with 
eagerness the motions of the pilot, who is taking 
soundings with his bamboo pole, ready to give 
the alarm of shoals, and point out the way to 
avoid them. This route is only practicable at 
spring tides, and then the water on the bar is 
not much more than ten feet. Boats come down 
with the ebb without cargoes, drawing generally 
only two or three feet. As we lost some of the 
tide while waiting outside one of the shoals for 
the water to rise, we found we could not reach 
Hang-chow, and stopped at this place about three 
p. M., because it affords a mooring for boats, 
which is somewhat protected from the bore when 
it comes in. I have been on shore twice, and 






TEMPORARY SOJOURN AT HANG-CHOW. 171 

made some attempts to talk with the people, 
which were, however, very unsatisfactory, on 
account of the difference of our dialects. 

" Friday, July 1st. We have at last reached 
our destination, and find the place still open to 
us, and everything in as quiet and favorable a 
condition as we could have expected. Last night 
was a time long to be remembered. We waited 
for the tide until past midnight. Our boat, 
which was resting quietly on the beach, several 
feet above low water, was bound to its place by 
several cables on different sides, as if in antici- 
pation of some unseen and sudden emergency. 
About one o'clock we heard a low rumbling 
sound in the distance, growing louder and louder, 
and giving sure notice of the approach of the 
tidal wave. This at spring tide comes in with a 
crest ten or twelve feet high. About ten min- 
utes intervened between our first hearing the 
wave and its appearance. As it came foaming 
along the shore and passed quickly by us, with 
its deep, hoarse sound, the scene was exceedingly 
grand. The water sprang up about us as if by 
magic, and in an instant our boat was afloat. A 
few boats in whose company we had expected to 
start, being more easily worked, loosed from the 
shore, and were immediately borne out of sight 



172 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

by the rapid current. We were soon, however, 
under way, and were borne along with almost 
railroad speed. It being nearly morning, I went 
below to get a little sleep. But a few moments 
had passed before the pilot, with the sounding 
stick, gave the alarm of an unexpected shoal. 
The anchor was dropped with all despatch, to 
keep us from drifting on it. [A peculiar kind 
of anchor is used here, and the only one that can 
be depended on, as any other, native or foreign, 
will drag.] Running out on deck, I found that 
our anchor was down and our sails filled, the 
wind being strong against the tide ; with both 
these we were barely able to hold our position. 
There was only about a foot of water under our 
keel. Our situation was one of great peril. We 
were in danger, in case the boat struck, of being 
instantly capsized, especially if it received the 
force of the current on its side. It was quite 
dark, but the pilot knew the direction in which 
the channel was. To sail for it, though the 
wind was strong and favorable, was out of the 
question, as the tide took us so much faster than 
the wind could. The plan adopted was that of 
raising the anchor a little, so as to let it drag 
slowly, and turn the helm so as to throw the bow 
over towards the channel. In this way we worked 



TEMPORARY SOJOURN AT HANG-CHOW. 173 

gradually into deeper water, and were soon out 
of danger. This was a half hour of the most 
painful suspense. Though I have encountered 
several storms at sea, I never felt a sense of such 
imminent danger. The boatmen declared that 
we were ' saved by a very, very little,' and at- 
tributed it all to the protection of Jesus. They 
had evidently, for the time, forgotten their idol- 
atrous offering." 

The morning after our arrival our boatmen 
came to see us. They seemed much impressed 
by our preservation from death the night previ- 
ous, and said they were sure it must have been 
owing to the protection of Him to whom they 
knew we had prayed for help. They told us 
that they had learned that one of the boats which 
had been in company with us part of the way 
had capsized, and several of those on board had 
been drowned. 

We found the work on our house progressing 
very well, but, as it was not yet completed, we 
spent some time in the rooms which Mr. Burdon 
had formerly occupied in a temple a little further 
down the hill. As we could bring only a limited 
supply of food with us from Ningpo, and had few 
conveniences for cooking, we were very uncom- 
fortably situated while living in this place. We 



174 OUK LIFE IN CHINA. 

would not have minded it so much, except that 
we both suffered in health for the want of some- 
thing wholesome to eat. Chinese cookery is at 
all times disagreeable to me, and more especially 
when I am suffering from loss of appetite, as has 
often been the case in China. Our kind-hearted 
servants were much distressed because they could 
not provide us more tempting food. Their anx- 
iety one morning exhibited itself in an amusing 
way. They had only been in our employ a short 
time, so that allowance should be made for their 
almost childish simplicity. They were attempt- 
ing to bake some " flannel cakes " upon a grid- 
dle, and, in spite of all their efforts, the cakes 
would adhere to the iron. " What shall we do? 
Mrs. N. must have something to eat ! " ex- 
claimed the cook. " Well," replied the other, 
" we are told that, if we pray even for trifles, God 
can hear us, and maybe, if we ask him to help 
us about these cakes, he will do so." Where- 
upon one went off by himself and proffered his 
request. When the cakes were brought to the 
table they certainly were, for some reason or 
other, a great improvement upon the previous 
ones. 

It has always been our fortune to have such ex- 
cellent domestics that I can scarcely sympathize 



TEMPORARY SOJOURN AT HANG-CHOW. 175 

with those whose experience has been different. 
The Chinese accomplish much less work than well- 
trained foreign servants ; but, bj allowing them 
to take their own time, and do things in their 
own way, we need have but little trouble with 
them. This of course involves the necessity of 
employing a greater number than is quite con- 
sistent with our Western ideas, but I think it is 
the truer economy in the end; as if, for the 
sake of avoiding expense, or from preference, a 
lady devotes herself to domestic pursuits, she 
will of course have but little time or strength for 
much else. On the other hand, I have known 
ladies who, with large families of children, and 
necessarily many domestic cares, by availing 
themselves of the assistance of the natives, were 
able to perform a wonderful amount of mission- 
ary work, without neglect of home duties. 
Such an one was the late Mrs. Happer, of 
Canton. 

Before removing to our rooms in the temple 
on the Ts-yiang hill, two official placards, warn- 
ing any one against molesting us, were given us 
by the officers, to be posted on the outside of our 
door. We were glad to have them, though they 
seemed hardly needed, as the people were so 
kindly disposed. We had many visitors, and the 



176 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

public services, which had been commenced the 
first Sabbath after reaching there, were attended 
by as quiet and orderly an audience as is usual 
in older stations. Everything had thus far been 
so favorable that we felt much encouraged, and 
very thankful that our steps had been directed to 
such a hopeful and interesting field of usefulness. 
We were consequently much surprised one even- 
ing, when we had been there but a short time, 
to hear that Mr. Wong (the "Jack Falstaff," 
before mentioned) had been summoned to appear 
before the authorities, in consequence of his hav- 
ing rented his house to foreigners. He was 
questioned as to his connection with us, and 
seems to have been greatly alarmed, and com- 
pletely cowed. When an official, in a thunder- 
ing tone, said to him, " Do you know what de- 
capitation means?" he meekly replied, "I 
ought to die." Supposing that merely a hint of 
such a nature would have the desired effect, 
Wong was dismissed, with a command to request 
us to leave Hang-chow. But Wong, who was a 
strange mixture of temerity and cowardice, of 
generosity and avarice, influenced probably by a 
strong desire to receive the rent which we paid for 
our rooms, urged us to give no attention to the 
message of the officers. 



TEMPORARY SOJOURN AT HANG-CHOW. 177 

We met with no other interference for some 
time after this, but there were strange rumors 
afloat all through the city to the effect that there 
had been a great battle, at the north of China, 
between the Chinese and foreigners, in which sev- 
eral English gunboats had been destroyed, and 
many lives lost. Our servants were constantly 
urged to leave us, as our countries were at war. 
We did not know what all this meant, but felt so 
sure that it could not by any possibility be a fact 
that the Chinese had gained a victory in a battle 
with the English, that we gave but little atten- 
tion to the rumor. One afternoon, about the 
middle of July, Mr. Nevius came into my room 
with such a grave and anxious countenance that 
I knew he must have received bad news. He 
showed me a letter which had just arrived from 
Mr. Rankin, at Ningpo, confirming the reports 
which had reached us from native sources. It 
appeared from his letter, that the French, Eng- 
lish, and Americans had all been engaged in the 
attack upon the Ta-ku forts, and had there suf- 
fered a disastrous defeat. Our position was now 
very embarrassing. We were willing to run 
risks so long as we had the right on our side, but, 
if our country had been actually at war with 

China, it would have been only folly to re- 
12 



178 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



main where we then were. After earnest 
prayer for guidance, to Him who says, " Com- 
mit thy way unto me," we decided that it might 
be better for us to go either to Shanghai or 
Ningpo, at least for a time. My husband the 
same afternoon called upon the Che-hien, but was 
told that he was " not at home." Not believing 
this to be true, Mr. Nevius requested to be in- 
formed just when he could have an interview, as 
his business was important. Thereupon, a sub- 
ordinate made his appearance, and, acting evi- 
dently for his superior, assured him that though 
we could not be allowed to reside permanently in 
Hang-chow, if we desired to remain a few days 
longer, we would not be molested. We felt from 
the first that it would be better for us, not only 
on account of our influence, but also for our 
safety, not to exhibit timidity. Accordingly we 
went out to ride and walk, just as usual. 

When we returned from a stroll, the evening 
after receiving the news mentioned above, we 
found a letter from Mr. Wm. Martin, written at 
Tien-tsin. He had been a spectator of the at- 
tack upon the Ta-ku forts by the combined forces 
of the English and French. We were greatly 
relieved to find from him that our government 
was not involved in the difficulties, and that 



TEMPORARY SOJOURN AT HANG-CHOW. 179 

though the American treaty had not yet been 
ratified, it undoubtedly would be within a few 
days, as the legation was on the point of leav- 
ing for Pekin, where no difficulty was appre- 
hended. Feeling that under these circumstan- 
ces there was no such urgent necessity for our 
immediate departure, we determined at least to 
await some further developments. 

The following day, as our family were en- 
gaged in morning worship, we heard a commo- 
tion in the court below, and a priest belonging 
to our temple came rushing in to tell us that Mr. 
Wong had been seized by five underlings from a 
ya-mun, and that they were then dragging him 
oif down the hill. Hereupon, Hyiao-fong went 
in pursuit, and in a short time he returned in 
triumph, having rescued Wong. The five 
" braves " seeing they had been discovered, and 
probably fearing the foreigner himself might 
make his appearance, or from some other motive, 
let go their hold of Wong, and retreated pre- 
cipitately ya-mun-wards. On the forenoon of 
this day, Mr. Nevius addressed a letter to the 
Che-Men, or district magistrate, informing him 
of the reliable news we had received from Tien- 
tsin, and expressing the hope that as Americans 
we might be allowed the privilege of remaining 



180 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



in Hang-chow. The same afternoon the supreme 
judge again called, and we were somewhat en- 
couraged b y his visit to hope for a continuance 
of good feeling on the part of the officers. On 
the morrow, Mr. Nevius received a very polite 
and carefully worded letter from the district 
magistrate. He still urged our return to Ning- 
po as necessary in the present disturbed state 
of public feeling ; and also upon the ground that 
by remaining we made him liable to reprimand 
or punishment from his superiors. He suggested 
that at another time the question of a permanent 
residence might be taken under consideration. 

The easiest way of solving our difficulties 
would have been to yield at once to the 
wish of the authorities. But there were several 
important reasons why we did not do so. The 
officers, by their kindly interchange of civilities 
a few weeks previous, had given a tacit consent to 
our residence in Hang-chow. Allowing our- 
selves to be driven away, when our countries 
were still on friendly terms, would have had an 
unfavorable effect upon the people, and would 
probably have necessitated the return of the na- 
tive assistants, and the abandonment of our mis- 
sion. It was likely also that, in case of our ab- 
sence, all natives who had been connected with 






TEMPORARY SOJOURN AT HANG-CHOW. 181 

us, either as teachers, workmen, or merely friends, 
would suffer in consequence ; when as yet, with 
the exception of our landlord Wong, none of 
them had been interfered with. We were, more- 
over, hoping to receive favorable news from the 
north, which would induce oven the officers to 
be willing to allow us to remain ; while yielding 
too readily would embolden them to pursue a 
like course 'in any future attempts to settle 
among them. The heat of summer was at that 
time — the latter part of July — intense, and to 
have made the journey across the country would 
have been at great risk to health. Mr. Nevius, 
in reply to the letter of the district magistrate, 
referred to some of the above-mentioned reasons 
for our stay, and urged that we might at least 
be permitted to wait until the weather became 
cooler, but still offered to leave immediately if 
they insisted upon it. To this communication 
no answer was returned, and, construing silence 
into consent, we decided if possible to remain. 

We received letters from our friends both at 
Shanghai and Ningpo, fully approving of our 
course, and expressing the hope that we would 
not leave unless it should be absolutely necessary 
to do so. Mr. Wong was a second time arrested, 
and confined in prison. One day he was called 



182 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



before the magistrate and sentenced to be beaten. 
He begged that the sentence might not be execu- 
ted, and was graciously granted three days' re- 
prieve. If, at the end of that time, we should 
not have left the city, he was told he need ex- 
pect no further mercy. We received certain 
significant intimations, from various quarters, 
that a sum of money would be efficacious, not 
only in gaining Wong's release, but in amicably 
arranging our other difficulties. We felt, how- 
ever, that it would be much better to avoid 
bribery in every way, and so paid no heed to 
these suggestions. Zong-foh, a San-poh man, 
who was with us at that time, occupying a posi- 
tion between a teacher and a servant, was of 
much assistance. He used to go almost daily to 
visit Wong in prison. We were glad to be as- 
sured that our ease-loving landlord was confined 
in a comfortable room, outside the common pris- 
on, and that, as he had a sufficient allowance of 
good food, his position was by no means as bad 
as it might have been. He never received the 
threatened beating. I suppose it was promised 
him with the hope of intimidating us, as well as 
of frightening him. Notwithstanding his im- 
prisonment, he still seemed desirous to have us 



TEMPORARY SOJOURN AT HANG-CHOW. 183 

remain, and occasionally sent us messages to that 
effect. 

It soon became known through the city, that 
our residence there was against the wishes of the 
officers. And, most unfortunately for us, there 
was just then a remarkable excitement all through 
the country with reference to the coolie trade. 
This odious traffic had been carried on to some 
extent at the open ports, and there had no doubt 
been some cases of kidnapping. But so greatly 
had the truth been exaggerated, that it was be- 
lieved by many that foreigners were all impli- 
cated in the outrage. There was a book printed 
and distributed broadcast, with the professed 
object of warning people against the danger of 
being captured and carried away to a fate even 
worse than slavery. I cannot attempt an accu- 
rate resume of this most singular tract ; but, 
though I may not remember the incidents per- 
fectly, I am sure that I shall not in the least 
exaggerate its absurdity. 

The story was somewhat as follows : The 
writer professed to be a doctor from the prov- 
ince of Kwang-tong, who, with several hun- 
dreds of other unfortunates, was kidnapped and 
carried on board a vessel bound for a foreign 
land. Their sufferings during the voyage were 



184 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



represented as horrible in the extreme, unallevi- 
ated by a gleam of hope ; for they were all well 
aware of the fate awaiting them. On arriving 
at port the captives were consigned to a kind of 
prison, or pen, in which place they were fed like 
so many animals fattening for slaughter; and 
each day a certain number of those who were in 
the best condition were led out to execution. 
And what was the object of this heart-rending 
cruelty ? It was this. The bodies of all those 
who thus suffered death were, by some mysterious 
process, known only to the outside barbarians, to 
be manufactured into opium ! From this fate 
the author of the tract was saved in the follow- 
ing manner: A high officer of the "outside 
country" was taken violently ill ; and his dis- 
ease baffled the skill of his medical attendants. 
As he was lying at the point of death, the cap- 
tive physician said to his jailer, " I am well ac- 
quainted with his Excellency's malady ; and also 
with its cure." These words were repeated in 
the presence of the sick person, who at once 
commanded the physician to be summoned. He 
was so entirely successful in his treatment that 
in a few days the patient was perfectly restored. 
The doctor was cruelly remanded back to prison, 
and would have soon been led forth to share the 



TEMPORARY SOJOURN AT HANG-CHOW. 185 

fate of his wretched companions, had he not 
thought of a fortunate expedient. He informed 
the jailer that, just one year from the time of his 
first attack, the officer would have a return of 
his illness, which in all probability would prove 
fatal. A3 bad news flies swiftly, before night 
this rumor had reached the ears of the officer. 
Again he summoned the physician, and, trem- 
bling with alarm, demanded to know in what way 
he could ward off the threatened danger ; or, in 
case of its appearance, what remedy he should 
use to save his precious life. The doctor as- 
sured him that it would not be possible to avoid 
the recurrence of the attack ; and that there was 
but one medicine which could prevent a fatal 
termination, and that one remedy, a small quan- 
tity of which he had brought with him, from the 
"Middle Kingdom/ ' had all been consumed in the 
first illness. " What is the medicine, and where 
can it be procured?" cried the officer, almost 
palsied with fear. " It grows only in one spot ; 
a mountain side in my native place, near the 

city of , in China,"- answered the doctor. 

" Return at once to the place you speak of; 
procure the remedy I need, and bring it hither," 
commanded the officer. "A ship awaits you; 
delay not an hour." It needed no second order 



186 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



to induce the doctor to depart from a place 
fraught with such bitter memories of the past, 
and such dismal anticipations of the future. 
Before night, in a well-appointed foreign ship, 
with an excellent commander and crew, he was 
sailing towards the land of his birth. He was 
treated with the greatest deference, each person 
on the ship striving to win his favor ; and he 
scarcely realized that he was the same individual, 
who, a few days before, had lain a hopeless 
prisoner among the opium captives, in the coun- 
try of the "outside barbarians." After a favor- 
able passage they landed near the city of . 

On leaving the ship he assured the captain that 
he would only be absent as long as was necessary 
to secure the required medicine. Directing his 
steps towards a range of blue mountains in the 
distance, he was soon out of sight of the ship. 
And once more he was free. Oh, the bliss of 
that moment ! Only a person who like him has 
but just escaped from the horrible fate of being 
killed, and made into opium, and then either 
smoked or eaten, can possibly imagine it. This 
soul-stirring narrative of personal experiences 
produced a profound impression. 

It was not strange that people credulous 
enough to believe such a ridiculous fiction as 






TEMPORARY SOJOURN AT HANG-CHOW. 187 

this, should readily give credence to others a 
shade less incredible. It was also reported and 
believed that foreigners were impressing the 
natives into their army to fight against their own 
people at the north; that having them once in 
their power, the Chinese were obliged to submit 
to the indignity of having their queues cut off, 
and their faces whitened; after which a potion 
was given them by which they were completely 
deprived of the power of speech. The origin of 
this story we never knew. 

Another similar fiction relating to us became 
current in the city. Seeming to consider it im- 
possible that one man alone should dare to offer 
resistance to the will of their rulers, many of the 
common people imagined that we had a regiment 
of soldiers whom we were drilling on the hills 
daily. When it began to be known that we were 
thinking of going to Shanghai or Ningpo, they 
surmised that it was only to lead back a large 
body of troops with which to redress our injuries. 

While such absurd and incongruous fabrica- 
tions were being circulated, it was not surprising 
that the feelings and manner of the people 
changed somewhat towards us. We met with 
little positive rudeness, but sometimes threaten- 
ing glances, and an expression of suspicion and 



188 



OUR LIFE Ltf CHINA. 



dislike made us aware that it would be unsafe to 
trust ourselves too fully within their power, 
while thej remained in their present excited and 
revengeful state. It gave us peculiar sensations 
to find ourselves suspected of such monstrous and 
unnatural crimes. But, in these trying circum- 
stances, our Chinese friends and servants behaved 
admirably ; nothing could have been better. They 
fully identified themselves with us, and were con- 
stantly on the watch to guard us against possible 
dangers. We were glad also to find that the 
silly stories I have mentioned above were not 
by any means credited by all, and every day we 
received visitors as kind and sociable as ever. 

Our Sabbath services continued to be well at- 
tended, and there were many indications that, if 
we could only in any way retain our position 
until the storm should blow over, our mission 
would have most encouraging prospects. For 
weeks we were daily expecting news of the rati- 
fication of the American Treaty. That of the 
Russians, which was already in operation, guar- 
anteed the right of itinerating through the 
country, for the purpose of preaching the gospel, 
but not of permanent residence. From our own 
treaty, notwithstanding the "favored nation * ; 
clause, we could expect but little help ; and as 






TEMPORARY SOJOURN AT HANG-CHOW. 189 

the two nations, England and France, from whom 
we had anticipated greatly enlarged privileges, 
were then engaged in actual war, our prospects 
for the future were not at all encouraging. The 
uncertainty in which we were obliged so long to 
remain was as hard to bear as the actual danger 
to which we were constantly exposed. The 
officers, though acknowledging that our govern- 
ments were in friendly relations, assured us that, 
as their people could not distinguish us from the 
English or French, it would not be possible for 
them to protect us in case of an attack, even 
should they desire to do so. 

We were not at all surprised, in the latter part 
of August, to receive from our good friend, Dr. 
Bradley, then United States Consul at Ningpo, 
a letter telling us he had received a communica- 
tion through the Ningpo tao-tai from the lieuten- 
ant-governor, residing at Hang-chow, informing 
him that "a certain American citizen by the name 
of ' Nee ' [Nevius] had located himself within 
his jurisdiction, and refused to depart, though 
repeatedly requested to do so." Together with 
his private letter to us was a formidable docu- 
ment addressed to the lieutenant-governor. In 
it, while assuring him that the Mr. " Nee M who 
was dwelling in his city was altogether an un- 



190 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

objectionable character, he acknowledged that we 
Lad at that time no treaty right to reside there. 
He asked that, as a matter of friendly civility 
and courtesy, we should be allowed to remain 
until the hot weather should be so moderated, as 
to make our return less dangerous. Dr. Brad- 
ley strongly advised us, in case there were not 
a friendly response from the lieutenant-governor 
in answer to his communication, to leave at once. 
We waited several days after this in the hope of 
the desired reply, but, as none was received, we 
felt constrained to yield to Dr. Bradley's request. 
By this time the ' ' coolie excitement ' ' had 
greatly abated, and the war at the north received 
much less attention. Confidence in us was 
gradually returning, and in these respects there 
seemed no necessity whatever for our leaving. 
On our last Sabbath we had the most interesting 
service of any while in Hang-chow. It was held 
in our Chinese reception-room. There were 
present at least fifty very respectable men, and 
a number of women who sat with me in an ad- 
joining room, where we could hear without being 
seen. All listened with most respectful atten- 
tion, and seemed affected by the truths presented. 
We had at this time numerous visitors, to whom 
we were careful to explain not only the truths of 



TEMPORARY SOJOURN AT HANG-CHOW. 191 

Christianity, but very particularly, our object in 
going to Hang-chow, and our reasons for leaving 
there. We were certain that by many this was 
perfectly understood, and that, as they would 
be sure to impart their knowledge to others, 
there was much less danger of our leaving a 
wrong impression than if we had left when first 
requested to do so. 

We had, moreover, the satisfaction of feeling 
that our stay in Hang-chow had not been without 
the results most dear to a missionary's heart, — ac- 
tual conversions. Several persons we thought 
gave evidence of true faith in Jesus. One of 
these was a woman by the name of Su. She 
came first to see me when we were occupying 
rooms in the temple lower down the hill. Her 
husband was a tailor, in easy circumstances. 1 
felt from the first much attracted to her, she was 
so gentle and affectionate, and withal so inquir- 
ing. It seemed as if she had for years been 
longing for just such a religion as that of Jesus ; 
having been altogether unsatisfied with their own 
false systems. She felt herself sinful and un- 
deserving; and unspeakably precious to her was 
the offer of a Saviour. I think she loved the 
Lord Jesus, almost as soon as she heard of him ; 
and a new world of light and beauty opened be- 



192 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

fore her. She came to me frequently with won- 
dering questions, some of which I could not 
satisfy. It seemed strange to her that Christians, 
having a knowledge of the way of salvation 
through Christ, could so long have failed to give 
that knowledge to others. I can never forget 
my last interview with her. Overcome with 
fatigue from preparations for our journey, I was 
lying down to rest, and she came in and sat 
beside me. She was very sad, and aside from 
regret at our going, evidently was depressed in 
mind from some other cause. Presently she said, 
"Nee S-meo [Mrs. Nevius], I wish to ask you 
two questions before you go : Do tell me, when 
I get to heaven, will I meet my ancestors there, 
and my dear little children who died years ago ? " 
She added, ' ' You know my ancestors never heard 
of Jesus, and so they could not believe in him ; 
but will he not save them, notwithstanding?" 
I was much distressed, and for a moment could 
not reply. But then I told her that we must 
leave such matters as we could not understand 
entirely with God ; that, since he had so loved us 
as to give his dear Son to die for us, we must 
never on any account doubt his love, nor his 
justice, nor his goodness. I told her that I 
would rather not try to answer her first question ; 






TEMPORARY SOJOURN AT HANG-CHOW. 193 

but would gladly tell her the Christian belief 
about the blessedness of little children who have 
died, either in Christian or in heathen lands. I 
assured her that I had not a doubt that, if 
she through grace should reach the home of the 
blessed, she would find her lost darlings await- 
ing her. An expression of great sweetness illu- 
mined her countenance. I love to think of her 
as she appeared at that time. It seemed as if 
she was then experiencing some of the happy 
effects of that faith which is the evidence of 
things not seen. I felt a strong hope that she 
had given herself to Him who was able to keep 
that which she had committed to Him, until that 
day ; and that, if we should never meet again on 
earth, we might hope to meet hereafter. She 
continued to attend services at the house of our 
native assistants until they left the city, after 
which time, for a long while, we completely lost 
sight of her. When the rebels captured the city, 
she and her family effected their escape. 

A few years since, when some of our native 
preachers or colporteurs were visiting a village 
in the district of Ningpo, though not very near 
the city, they were told that there was a woman 
in the place who did not worship idols, and who 
believed the same kind of doctrine as that they 

13 



194 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



preached; and that she taught her children to 
kneel down and pray to an unseen God. The 
natives were much interested in this account, 
and went at once to visit the woman. They 
found to their surprise and pleasure that she was 
this same Mrs. Su, my Hang-chow friend. From 
the time of our assistants leaving Hang-chow, 
she had never met a foreigner, or received any 
religious instruction whatever. But through all 
these dreary years passed among those who knew 
nothing of Christianity, and who practised only 
idolatry, she had kept the faith, and was still 
" clinging to Jesus." Of course, there was much 
darkness and ignorance to be removed, but not 
long after she was thus accidentally discovered, 
she received baptism, and became a member of 
one of the Ningpo churches. I think she is 
highly respected as a consistent, devoted Chris- 
tian ; and, if I am not mistaken, she is now giving 
much assistance in instructing the women in her 
neighborhood in the truths of the gospel. The 
" bread cast upon the waters," during those try- 
ing months spent in Hang-chow, was " found 
again after many days." 

At least one other person dates his conversion 
to instruction received at the same time. 

Our experience in Hang-chow confirmed us in 



TEMPORARY SOJOURN AT HANG-CHOW. 195 

the impression we had previously formed of its 
comparative healthfulness. We felt the heat less 
sensibly than during any previous summer spent 
in China. 

Our house, after it was repaired, was both 
comfortable and pleasant, although somewhat too 
small. On the side overlooking the city and 
facing the Tsin-tang River, were our parlor, bed- 
room, and guest-room. These three had board 
floors, glass windows, and whitewashed walls. 
Although the house had but one story, owing to 
its situation upon the top of the hill, it was not 
at all damp. The back rooms were left much as 
we found them, with only a brick floor and paper 
windows. In these we had a Chinese reception- 
room, a dining-room, and kitchen, and one or two 
small apartments used by the servants. 

In preparing to return to Ningpo, we decided 
to leave all heavy articles of furniture, both be- 
cause it would be difficult to transport them 
across the country, and in order that they might 
be there ready for use whenever we should be 
permitted to come back. 

When the day was fixed for our departure, Mr. 
Nevius sent his card to the oflicers, informing 
them of his intention, and received theirs in re- 
turn. Thus, notwithstanding the peculiar rela- 



196 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



tions we had sustained towards the officials, we 
parted, at least nominally, friends. On the day 
we left, a large number of people had collected 
to see us off. Many expressed earnest desires 
that we should speedily return, and seemed really 
to regret our going. We left our rooms in charge 
of a native ; the two assistants remained in their 
own hired house, and everything was so kindly 
ordered that we could scarcely realize that we 
had been driven away. Yet so it was ; and our 
dream of life and work in Hang-chow was over. 
But being obliged to leave just when we did, 
though it seemed to us so unfortunate, was really 
a very marked and kind providence, for it was 
not long after this that the Tai-ping insur- 
gents captured the city, at which time there oc- 
curred scenes of such atrocity and cruelty as I 
am sure I never could have endured to witness. 
It was then that our friend, Mr. Vi, was put to 
death as I have before mentioned. Nearly all 
our acquaintances either fled from the city, or 
were killed or captured. The accounts we re- 
ceived, from fugitives who had made their escape, 
were fearful. It is thought that not far from 
twenty thousand persons were massacred. Dead 
bodies were lying on every side in the streets or 
in the houses. Those who succeeded in making 



TEMPORARY SOJOURN AT HANG-CHOW. 197 

their escape, and reaching some place of safety 
with their lives only, considered themselves 
fortunate. 

The temple, of which our rooms were a wing, 
was burned to the ground ; while, strange to say, 
our part remained uninjured. A native, who 
visited it, brought us word that it was occupied 
by the rebel commander, as his head-quarters, 
and that the troops were making themselves very 
much at home with everything we had left be- 
hind us. He said our dining-table was in a sad 
state, having been used for chopping meat upon 
for his Excellency's dinners. Other articles of 
furniture were also either entirely missing or 
much defaced. We had left one or two large 
boxes of Christian books in the Chinese character, 
and were not sorry to hear that they had been 
opened and scattered, as there was a possibility 
that they might thus do some good. 

We were grieved to learn that the kindly dis- 
posed military officer, whom I mentioned as call- 
ing upon my husband during our first visit, while 
we were staying at the Loh-o-tah, met his death 
soon after the rebels attacked the city. He was 
killed as he was leading a company of soldiers 
out through a gate to meet the enemy. I sup- 
pose he was a brave, good officer, as well as a 






198 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

very agreeable and intelligent gentleman. The 
rebels retained the city only a few days, when it 
was recaptured by the Imperialists. 

The commanding position of our house led to 
its being again chosen as the residence of a mili- 
tary officer. We heard occasionally of it, from 
persons coming from Hang-chow, though for a 
long while, owing to the greatly disturbed state 
of the country, communication was very infre- 
quent. At length, news reached us that our old 
home was in ruins, having been burned to the 
ground, — whether by accident or intention, we 
had no means of ascertaining. Our losses of furni- 
ture and various articles left in the house were 
considerable, but that we regarded a trifling 
matter compared with our great disappointment 
in being obliged to relinquish a station of so 
great importance, to which we had been led by 
such unmistakable providences. Still, in looking 
back to that period, I feel that we had abundant 
cause for gratitude. From our perilous journey 
up the Hang-chow Bay, all through those days 
and nights of uncertainty and danger, we felt 
conscious that our heavenly Father was watch- 
ing over and protecting us, and it was by no 
means an unhappy season. On the contrary, we 
experienced truest pleasure in the privilege of 



TEMPORARY SOJOURN AT HANG-CHOW. 199 



enduring some little " hardness " in our Master's 
service. 

I am thankful that, after an interval of six or 
seven years, missionary work has been resumed 
in Hang-chow, and representatives of our own 
church, and of the Church of England, and sev- 
eral other societies, are now residing there. I 
hope it will prove a most successful station, and 
a pleasant place of residence. 







200 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



CHAPTER VIH. 

MISSIONARY LIFE AND OCCUPATIONS. — VIEWS 
OF CHINESE CHARACTER. — ARRIVAL OF MIS- 
SIONARIES. — REMOVALS BY DEATH. 

On our return to Ningpo at the end of August, 
1859, we were sadly impressed by the too evi- 
dent effects of a Ningpo summer upon our for- 
eign friends there. With few exceptions they 
were thin and pale, and went about their neces- 
sary duties, with a weary air which it pained us 
to see. The season had been sickly, and there had 
been some cases of illness and death from cholera. 
Among those who fell victims to that disease 
were Mrs. Parker of the Scotch Presbyterian Mis- 
sion, and two " sisters of charity," connected with 
the large Romanist establishment within the city. 

I have sometimes regretted that there is so 
little intercourse between the missionaries of the 
Romish church and ourselves. We used often 
to meet the sisters ^with their black dresses and 
large white bonnets, as they glided quietly 






ROMISH MISSIONARIES. 



201 



through streets and by-ways, intent on errands 
of duty and mercy, and I could but honor their 
self-sacrificing spirit, and hope that the saving 
truths of the gospel which they labored so ear- 
nestly to communicate to others had indeed been 
received by faith into their own hearts. Still 
we knew that there was much error mixed with 
their instructions to the heathen. There are 
great numbers of Roman Catholics in China; 
many more than all Protestant Christians com- 
bined. This is not strange when we bear in 
mind that it is now several centuries since 
they began there the propagation of their faith ; 
and that in all these years their missionaries 
have been numerous, with abundant sources of 
wealth at their command. 

Some of the early Jesuits were men of great 
learning, and perhaps also of sincere piety. Of 
one of these, Matteo Ricci, it is said, " He not 
only made himself so thoroughly conversant 
with their language as even to gain the applause 
of native literati, but he studied also their char- 
acter, their sciences, their history, and their cer- 
emonials. With this view he lived for seven 
years among the bonzes, adopted their dress, fell 
in with their manners, and humored their prej- 
udices. To the Chinese he became a Chinese, 



202 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

that he might win them over to his cause." It 
is further stated that " he first attracted the at- 
tention of the learned by drawing a map of the 
world, on which, according to Chinese usage, 
China was placed in the centre, and the countries 
of Europe on the margin," — hardly a truthful 
representation bj the holy father, one would 
think. After these glimpses into his character 
and life, we are obliged to credit the charges 
laid against him by the Dominicans, that " he 
was too tolerant of Chinese prejudices, and sac- 
rificed Christian purity to expediency." Be 
this as it may, he was wonderfully successful ; 
and, at the time of his death, had made many 
converts; not only among the poor and un- 
learned, but also from the highest ranks of soci- 
ety, and in every province of the empire. 

The fortunes of Romanism have been verv 
fluctuating ; at one time it has bid fair to become 
the prevailing religion of the empire, and then 
again has been well-nigh crushed out by storms 
of persecution and trial. In the severe ordeals 
to which the Romanists, both native and foreign, 
have been subjected, many of the latter have 
suffered martyrdom; and of the former, not a 
few, imitating the faith and steadfastness of their 
instructors, have submitted either to death or 







ROMISH MISSIONARIES. 203 

exile. As we read of the zeal and heroic forti- 
tude of those early martyrs, we can but feel 
the deepest regret that they had not suffered for 
a purer faith and a better cause. 

It is said that the Romish missionaries of the 
present day are not by any means the equals 
of their predecessors. They have but a limited 
knowledge of the language, and attempt the 
composition of few new books either of religion 
or science. I do not think I am mistaken in 
my impression that, notwithstanding the limited 
number of Protestant missionaries, and the 
short time, comparatively, during which they 
have been in China, their position and influence 
in the eyes of the Chinese are much superior to 
that of the Romanists. I often wonder that we 
do not hear more of them. 

The way in which they make their converts 
accounts for their almost incredible number. 
Believing that baptism, when administered by 
themselves, is a saving ordinance, they resort to 
strange expedients in order to secure subjects 
for it. I have been told that the " sisters " at 
Ningpo sometimes go to the villages in that 
neighborhood, and, when a crowd of women and 
children, such as a foreign lady is sure to at- 
tract, comes about them, they seize a favorable 



204 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

moment, and sprinkle as many of the babies as 
come within their reach; thus gaining " con- 
verts " without number. All such baptized 
children, notwithstanding the fact that their par- 
ents are heathens, are counted among the num- 
ber of their proselytes. The transition from 
Buddhism to Romanism is so easy, that, instead 
of wondering at its rapid spread, I think it is 
surprising that it has not been more popular. 

There is an impression current, that the Ro- 
mish missionaries invariably conform to the cus- 
toms of the natives, both in dress, and style of 
living; thus gaining much in influence over 
them. But this certainly is not always the 
case. A French priest, with whom my husband 
became acquainted, assured him that, at least in 
his mission, they lived as nearly as possible as 
they had been accustomed to in their native land ; 
having the same kinds of food, light foreign 
wines at table, etc. I believe the Romish priests 
always adopt the native costume ; but, aside from 
its convenience, I doubt if they gain much even 
by that. If Ricci's policy of " adopting their 
dress, falling in with their manners, and hu- 
moring their prejudices ; in fine, becoming Chi- 
nese, in order that we might win them over to 
the cause," were correct, then, indeed, there 






MISSIONARY COSTUME. 



205 



would be a good reason for laying aside our na- 
tionality or individuality. Such means of gain- 
ing an influence are suited to the genius and 
spirit of Popery, but not to that of Protestant- 
ism, which, having nothing to fear from light and 
investigation, has no need to appear to be what 
it is not ; nor to make use of doubtful arts and 
subterfuges, in order to increase the number of 
its proselytes. 

Some few Protestant missionaries have also 
adopted the Chinese costume, and conformed, in 
a measure, to the native style of living ; but this 
course is not generally approved of. It may 
have certain advantages of which I am not 
aware, but they would have to be very great 
to compensate for what is lost by giving up our 
own habits and customs, and a part at least of 
that respect and influence which belong to us 
simply as foreigners. 

The adoption of the pretty native costume is 
too trifling a matter to be considered in the light 
of a sacrifice. I have worn it at times, and 
doubtless may occasionally do so in the future. 
In visiting freely among all classes, not only at 
the open ports, but in the interior villages and 
cities, I never experienced serious inconvenience 
in consequence of my foreign dress. When I 



206 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

wore the Chinese dress, however, I was in one 
instance not a little annoyed. My husband and 
myself were accompanied by a native preacher, 
and, as we passed from village to village, we 
were followed by shouts of boys and men. ' ' Here 
comes a red-haired man, with a native and his 
wife!" 

The expense of the Chinese costume and mode 
of living I presume is considerably less than 
that of ours ; which may render their adoption, 
in certain cases, necessary; but, as a general 
thing, even the limited salary of an American 
missionary is enough to allow of his living in a 
sufficiently respectable way, in foreign style j and 
with not only the bare necessaries of life, but 
also some of its luxuries ; for instance, a pretty 
well-filled library, a few pictures adorning the 
walls, and an occasional exotic, such as an easy- 
chair, or an etagere, with many a souvenir of the 
dear home and friends far away. And these 
things, while they might be considered by some 
as superfluous, or even as sinful indulgences, 
are not without important uses in the prosecu- 
tion of our work. I do not know what I should 
have done, had I been without my good melode- 
on, a stereoscope and pictures, daguerreotypes, 
photographs, and the like, to assist in entertain 



MISSIONARY LIFE AND OCCUPATIONS. 207 



ing the many visitors, who have, from time to 
time, come to see us. Especially with Chinese 
women, whose minds are so utterly untrained, 
and who are so deplorably ignorant, of not only 
books, but everything else, are these helps very 
desirable, if we would gain an influence over, 
and interest, them. 

As for the motive of economy, I am perhaps 
not sufficiently affected by it ; nor have I much 
sympathy with self-imposed austerities, whether 
in the Romish or the Protestant church. But 
lest anything I have said might give the idea 
that missionaries live luxuriously, and are in the 
reception of larger salaries than they actually 
receive and need, I will just mention \iiat a good 
book-keeper in a foreign mercantile establish- 
ment, though a young man, with a limited edu- 
cation, and no knowledge of the Chinese lan- 
guage, is able to command two or three times 
as large a salary as that of a missionary. And 
that is not considered too much to meet the ex- 
penses of living, and to compensate for the risks 
run in a foreign and often unhealthy climate. 
But then, the missionary does not expect nor 
desire to be paid for his services ; at least not 
with money. He receives, in the consciousness 
that he is living a life of obedience to the ex- 



208 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

pressed will of Christ, together with the pure 
happiness which flows from efforts to benefit 
others, a recompense all-sufficient, even in this 
world, while he hopes to meet hereafter the most 
blessed of all rewards, in those words of our 
Saviour, "Well done, thou good and faithful 
servant ; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord ; " 
and is it not written, "Verily I say unto you, 
There is no man that hath left house, or breth- 
ren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or 
children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, 
but he shall receive an hundred-fold now in this 
time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and 
mothers, and children, and lands, with persecu- 
tions, and in the world to come, eternal life " ? 

Well, then, may Christ's servants, both at 
home and abroad, who have from love to him 
given up even the wish to accumulate much of 
this "world's goods, rest content. Treasures laid 
up above are better far than any others. 

But to return from this long digression into 
which I have been led, I scarcely know how. 
As, in consequence of our household effects hav- 
ing so many of them been left at Hang-chow, we 
were not able at once to resume house-keeping, 
our ever kind friends, Mr. and Mrs. Rankin, 
offered us a home with them, and the next few 



MISSIONARY LIFE AND OCCUPATIONS. 209 

months were spent at their house. Mr. Nevius 
resumed charge of the boys' school, and also the 
church j of which he had for some years been 
pastor. In his temporary absences his place had 
been supplied by other members of the mission. 
In all that I have thus far written, I know 
that I have been able to give only a very imper- 
fect view of the multiplied duties and employ-, 
ments of missionaries generally. Except when 
they go away from their stations for the express 
purpose of recreation and rest, their work is 
never done. Their evenings are apt to be occu- 
pied either with services, teaching Bible classes, 
conversing with inquirers or visitors, or in no 
less exhausting labors in their studies. There 
are exceptions to this ; some persons feel that, in 
the end, they accomplish more by devoting fewer 
hours to work, and giving up every evening to 
rest and relaxation ; and perhaps they are wise 
in doing so. But there are so few variations and 
diversions in those out-of-the-world places, where 
much of our life has been spent, that it is really 
easier to plod on from morning to night, and 
from one day to another, in either study or work 
of various kinds, than to "throw care to the 
winds," and take the mental and physical rest 
which would in reality be best for us. 
H 






210 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

Aside from the ordinary routine of preaching, 
studying, book-making, and so forth, missionaries 
have frequent demands upon their time and en- 
ergies of a different character. In most of the 
open ports, the United States Consulates have 
heretofore been without interpreters, and the con- 
suls, having no knowledge of Chinese, have been 
obliged to ask assistance from their clerical 
friends in transacting official business. In sev- 
eral instances missionaries have accepted the 
office of consul, for a longer or shorter time, 
though they generally regret being obliged to 
step aside from their more important work of 
preaching the gospel. Their services, too, are 
often required to sit as jurors in consular courts. 

In those stations where there are large mission- 
ary communities, there are occasional social 
gatherings, which are often truly delightful. In 
Ningpo there has been for years, in fact, since it 
was first occupied by foreigners, a " Missionary 
Association," which meets with different families 
in rotation, aud is attended by all the resident mis- 
sionaries, and not unfrequently by a few others. 
It combines the two objects of a " debating club" 
and a " sociable." The subject for discussion is 
chosen at a previous meeting, and one person 
sometimes has a written essay upon it, with the 









MISSIONARY LIFE AND OCCUPATIONS. 211 

reading of which the evening is opened. Or, in 
case there has been no written paper, the appoint- 
ed person opens the discussion with an extem- 
pore speech, and is usually followed by the other 
gentlemen present. The influence of this " Asso- 
ciation" has been very great. Many important 
questions connected with our peculiar work as 
missionaries have been brought forward for con- 
sideration, in such a way as to elicit a free inter- 
change of opinion; conflicting views and prac- 
tices have been either modified or changed, and 
an effect, both salutary and strong, has evidently 
proceeded from it. The ladies accompany their 
husbands, and I fancy are often as interested 
listeners as those who take a more prominent 
part in the discussions. In the beginning, or 
at the close, of the evening, there are usually re- 
freshments, either very simple, or somewhat 
more elaborate, as the taste of the hostess may 
dictate. 

At the newer and smaller stations there are 
naturally fewer of these social interviews ; but 
even there we have quiet little " tea-drinkings," 
which are pleasant breaks in our very monoto- 
nous lives. I feel sure, however, that we mis- 
sionaries often err in not making more of each 
other's society, and contriving in various ways 






212 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

to forget, for the time, our work and our sur- 
roundings. 

In most stations the missionaries, and other 
religiously disposed foreign residents, either mer- 
chants of various sorts, mere transient visitors, 
or persons in the civil service, are accustomed to 
meet at least once, each Sabbath, for public wor- 
ship. The missionaries who conduct the exer- 
cises usually have written sermons, prepared with 
the same care as if they were to be delivered to 
home audiences. Of course these exercises are 
in English. In large foreign settlements, such 
as Shanghai. and Hong-kong, there are chaplains 
connected with the established church of Eng- 
land, and also occasionally of other denomina- 
tions, who hold Sabbath services and pay special 
attention to the religious wants of their coun- 
trymen. Some of these clergymen, like the late 
Mr. Hobson of Shanghai, have been persons of 
great piety and most exemplary lives, while oth- 
ers resemble, to a sad degree, pictures frequently 
given us of the " sporting parsons " of England. 
The same remark holds good of the chaplains on 
board "men of war," both English and Ameri- 
can. Some of these have been persons of such 
marked and elevated Christian character that, 
wherever they go, and under whatever circum- 



VIEWS OF CHINESE CHARACTER. 213 

stances they are placed, their influence for good 
is wide-spread and powerful ; while others, hav- 
ing grievously failed in their duties on shipboard, 
seem not less remiss in their intercourse with 
foreigners with whom they come in contact at the 
ports where they happen to be temporarily sta- 
tioned. This class of clergymen, I scarcely need 
say, feel no special interest in the work of mis- 
sions, and take no pains to inform themselves 
upon it. This being the case, it is not strange 
that they leave the country with the impression 
that but little has been accomplished, or that it 
is a hopeless undertaking. We have often been 
troubled by the false and injurious reports circu- 
lated by travellers, ship captains and foreign resi- 
dents, who are not in sympathy with us, respect- 
ing the national peculiarities of the Chinese, and 
the supposed hypocrisy of the native converts to 
Christianity, together with innuendoes as to the 
character of the missionaries, and their alleged 
want of success. 

It is not strange that irreligious people should 
feel little interested in the spread of the gospel ; 
but I cannot understand how any one can be guilty 
of so dishonorable an action as to make completely 
false statements, either willingly, or when by 
any means they might have been more correctly 



214 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

informed. Yet such has been the case in numer- 
ous instances. Let me quote an extract from an 
article which appeared a few years since in a 
Hong-kong " daily." The writer says, "Ask 
any man of mind and experience in China, 
and he will tell you that it is childish to expect 
to convert the Chinese, by any means yet at- 
tempted, to what we call in England, Ireland, 
and Scotland, Christianity." Hereupon follows 
a dissertation to prove that the only feasible plan 
for converting a nation is to teach them " civil 
engineering," and the like, in which way, he 
adds, "you will do more for Christianity, in fifty 
years, than the old lady's string of tenets (by 
which he must mean the gospel), uttered from 
the mouth of any number of maudlin missionaries, 
could effect in fifty centuries." I might give 
extracts from other writers or travellers, almost 
as interesting, and quite as reliable ; but one such 
is enough. It is certainly not pleasant to be 
thus misunderstood, or misrepresented ; but, if it 
were not that this and similar statements have 
created such a false and mischievous impression 
upon many who are not acquainted with the 
facts of the case, they would not be worth notice. 
Only a few moments since I received a visit from 
an intelligent lady, who in the course of our con- 



VIEWS OF CHINESE CHARACTER. 215 

versation remarked, referring to a little book she 
had read describing a Chinese boy, "I was so 
surprised, I really could not understand it. 
How could it be possible that a Chinese should 
be so intelligent?" adding, "I used to feel a 
deep interest in the Chinese, while I have now 
not the slightest, since I have learned that they 
are so degraded" When I inquired upon what 
she had based her opinions, she found it difficult 
to tell. She had recently read some work, by 
whom written she could not say, and also the 
letters of some recent traveller, whose name she 
had likewise forgotten, which had given her an 
idea of the extreme " stupidity " of the Chinese, 
as well as of their " degradation," and of noth- 
ing more. Consequently she seemed almost 
unwilling to be disabused of her incorrect opin- 
ions, or to open her heart to any feeling of love 
or sympathy for my adopted countrymen. That 
they are in many respects very degraded, I sor- 
rowfully admit ; but, for that very reason, a 
Christian ought to feel for them the more. It is 
rather late in the day for any one to be startled 
by the fact that a China boy, or man, shows 
signs of "intellect." I presume, if our dis- 
tinguished countryman, Mr. Burlingame, were 
interrogated on this subject, he would speak of 



216 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

the Chinese in much more flattering terms than 
I dare use, for fear of being thought guilty of 
exaggeration, and that, too, while he would feel 
deeply their need of the true religion, and of 
greatly advanced attainments in those arts and 
sciences which are the pride of civilized Christian 
nations in this nineteenth century. 

Several years since, a young Chinese gentleman 
graduated at Yale College, who took the first prize 
for English composition, and that, as I have been 
assured, not in any measure in consideration of 
being a foreigner, but because of the real ex- 
cellence of his production ; while only a few 
months ago, another young Chinese, at another 
college, had the Greek " valedictory.' ' There is 
now in China a native physician who received 
his medical education in Scotland. He became 
not only exceedingly well qualified for his pro- 
fession, but also an excellent botanist. These, 
and other similar cases which I might mention, 
prove, to say the least, that the Chinese, if 
given the same opportunities for improvement, 
will not be very inferior in intellectual attain- 
ments to our boasted Anglo Saxon race. 

I was mentioning, not long since, some in- 
cident connected with a Chinese gentleman, hear- 
ing which, a friend exclaimed, " It does sound so 



VIEWS OF CHINESE CHARACTER. 217 

droll to hear you speak of a Chinese as a 
1 gentleman.' " When I inquired if she were 
accustomed to consider only such persons " gen- 
tlemen " as she had reason to believe were truly 
pious, she answered, "By no means;" that, 
on the contrary, " some of the wickedest men 
she had ever met were acknowledged by all 
to be very elegant gentlemen." After such 
an admission, it was not difficult to convince her 
that she had been decidedly mistaken in her 
previous estimate of the Chinese. Indeed, as 
far as the mere matter of external manners is 
concerned, there is but very little for us to teach 
those to whom that subject has been made a 
study, — not left, as is too much the case in our 
country, to each individual's own disposition, or 
sense of propriety. Chinese boys are taught 
from their earliest years to pay great deference 
to their superiors in age or station ; and, as for a 
graceful bow, surely they may at least have 
credit for that. Years ago, when the boys of the 
boarding-school were chiefly under the care of 
the foreign missionary, there was less attention 
bestowed upon manners and etiquette than is 
usual in Chinese schools, and the boys, naturally 
taking their foreign teacher as their standard of 
excellence, in this, as in other respects, acquired 



218 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

the habit of inclining the head at the slightest 
possible departure from a perpendicular, when 
chancing to meet an acquaintance in the street j 
and on grand occasions, such as the customary 
New- Year greetings, when the natives make such 
profound and graceful sweeps that one wonders 
at their skill in recovering their equipoise, our 
poor students seemed decidedly stiff and awk- 
ward. This was considered by the older church- 
members, and other Chinese, as an evidence of 
ill-breeding, and a great defect in the school, 
and was criticised severely. There has, how- 
ever, of late years, been more attention bestowed 
upon this department of education, so that our 
pupils are able to pass as gentlemen, though they 
do not excel in the respects above alluded to. 

I do not think that little girls in China have 
nearly as much attention given to their manners 
as children of the other sex ; and, consequently, 
they are hardly their equals in the grace and 
propriety which often surprise us, even in very 
young boys. The girls in our school have a 
disagreeable way of affecting " shyness.'' Ad- 
dress them, and they shrug their shoulders and 
sidle off, with a mixture of timidity and disgust 
which is not at all pleasing, and which is usually 
either entirely assumed, or only a habit, of 



VIEWS OF CHINESE CHARACTER. 219 

which I think they might be broken. This habit 
is not by any means common to all Chinese girls ; 
on the contrary, many have sweet, engaging 
manners, and are very winning. I cannot say 
that they are ever graceful^ as their poor little 
cramped feet render grace, at least, of motion, 
quite impossible. 

It is pleasant to notice how many points of 
resemblance there are in little children the world 
over. Persons who find it difficult to believe 
that a Chinese can be a "gentleman " or is 
possessed of " intellect," may be surprised to 
hear that our little " Orientals " are playful, fond 
of sports and frolic, and not unfrequently mis- 
chievous, and addicted to practical jokes, — 
though not indeed to the extent that character- 
izes youths of Western lands. Perhaps, owing 
to the enervating effects of the climate, our 
Ningpo school-boys have not been very ready to 
adopt the plays which are favorites with their 
class in this country, though their teachers have 
made strenuous efforts to introduce them. Their 
tastes incline to quieter sports. There is nothing 
which seems to have more fascination for them 
than kite-flying, while "marbles," and certain 
mild games of " ball," are also common. I sus- 
pect that in colder latitudes, where the adults 



220 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

have a much better developed physique, the 
children will exhibit a corresponding fondness 
for more athletic out-door games. 

I alluded not long since to the pleasant epi- 
sodes in our monotonous lives sometimes afforded 
by visits from our countrymen and others. Still 
more rare, and not less delightful, are the friend- 
ships formed with lady visitors, or the wives of 
foreign residents, who, desirous no less than 
ourselves of the good of the natives, join heartily 
in assisting us in every way in their power, and, 
by warm sympathy, as well as material aid, have 

helped us much. Such an one was Mrs. H , 

of New Haven, who spent a year or two with 
her brother, the United States Consul at Ningpo. 
Another, to whom, in some perplexity, I applied 
for aid in the support of some native female as- 
sistants, thanked me warmly for the privilege, 
and gave me at once a larger sum than I should 
have thought of asking for. This was Mrs. 

T , recently of Shanghai. Many similar 

acts of kindness and courtesy on the part of 
other foreign residents I should take pleasure in 
mentioning here, were it proper to do so. 

Although at the foreign settlements in China, 
and, I think, also at most other Eastern ports, 
there has not been as much intimacy or sympathy 






VIEWS OF CHINESE CHARACTER. 221 

existing between the missionaries and other for- 
eign residents as would have seemed natural, and 
on various accounts desirable, there have been 
many cases of the warmest friendship and mu- 
tual interchange of kindly offices. 

The fact that many of the most prominent 
mercantile establishments in China have been 
directly engaged in the opium traffic, has been 
of itself a sufficient reason why intimacy between 
the two classes should seem, at least in the eyes 
of the natives, somewhat anomalous; the one 
residing in their midst professedly with no other 
object than to elevate and benefit them, the other 
amassing wealth at the expense of their degrada- 
tion and misery. 

One of the standing objections brought by the 
Chinese against foreigners is the fact that by 
them opium was introduced into their country ; 
thus, for the love of gain, effecting the ruin of 
millions; and it is a charge to which we are 
obliged to plead guilty. We can only answer, 
in extenuation, that if the Chinese did not desire 
the drug, and offer such an inviting market for 
it, it would not be brought to them. And that, 
moreover, it is only a very small proportion of 
foreigners who have ever had the least connection 
with it, while the great majority regard it with 



222 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

as much abhorrence as do the Chinese them- 
selves. 

Natives, who have much intercourse with the 
foreign settlements, soon become fully aware of 
the character and objects of the various classes 
composing it. 

By the way, the Chinese are very quick in 
their appreciation of character. Foreigners are 
often surprised to find how correct has been their 
estimate of themselves or of others. 

In the latter part of December we were cheered 
by the arrival of a much-needed reinforcement to 
our mission at Ningpo. Mr. and Mrs. Green 
and Mr. and Mrs. Danforth arrived in time to 
celebrate the New Year with new friends and in 
new scenes. Mrs. Danforth had been very ill 
on the voyage, and was obliged to remain some 
time at Shanghai, before resuming her journey 
to Ningpo. 

It would be difficult for those who have not 
experienced it to appreciate the pleasure with 
which we look forward to welcoming recruits to 
our little missionary band. And, when they 
arrive with young and happy hearts, radiant 
with health and hopefulness, it seems like breath- 
ing a breath of our native air, or as if, in seeing 
them, we had had a glimpse of cheerful home 






ARRIVAL OF MISSIONARIES. 223 

scenes and faces. I do not like to admit that 
we all become so dull and sedate as this would 
seem to imply, but certainly the " toning-down " 
process in most mission stations is quite too 
rapid. Next to real piety and practical energy, 
I think no qualification for missionary life is 
more important than a cheerful, sunny disposi- 
tion, and a good fund of " animal spirits." 

But it is not with pleasure only that we look 
forward to the advent of "new missionaries." 
We feel also no small degree of anxiety ; for past 
experience has proved that an accession of num- 
bers does not necessarily imply an increase of 
strength or of happiness. Thus it is with reason 
that we wonder whether our expected friends will 
be persons of the " right stamp." Will they be 
loving and devoted Christians? Will they be cul- 
tivated and agreeable ? Will they be additions to 
our social gather iDgs ; and to us personally will 
they be congenial ? For, after all, they may 
possess every other qualification and prove most 
efficient and useful missionaries, yet, owing to 
differences in tastes, or previous habits of living, 
we and they may never become intimate. It is 
a mistake to suppose, because our aim in life and 
our circumstances are similar, and we are, as a 
matter of course, thrown much together, that, 



34 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

srefore, we are necessarily admitted to the 
/aner sanctum of each other's hearts, and be- 
come more than very good friends. But do we 
not often see this same result illustrated even 
within the narrow limits of the home circle? 
How few brothers and sisters, even where educa- 
tion and external circumstances have been pre- 
cisely the same, sustain to each other that still 
nearer relationship, wherein soul meets soul ! 

" Few are the hearts, whence the same touch 
Bids the same feelings flow." 

But when we are privileged to meet a mission- 
ary associate between whom and ourselves we rec- 
ognize the spell of that " electric chain," where- 
with some hearts are bound together, the tie is a 
very close one, and lasts till death. Many such 
friendships we have been privileged to make, and 
the recollection of them will always be sweet, 
though in some cases they can never be renewed 
on earth. 

Near the close of the first month of the new 
year, Mrs. Lord, of the American Baptist Mis- 
sion, was removed by death. She left five little 
children, the oldest of whom was only in her 
sixth year. Mrs. Lord was a most faithful and 
devoted wife and mother. Naturally warm-hearted 



REMOVALS BY DEATH. 225 

and affectionate, she was bound up in her family, 
to whom her presence and care seemed a neces- 
sity. Yet when, near the close of her illness, 
she realized fully that all those tender ties must 
soon be broken, such grace was given her that 
she was able trustfully to surrender all to the 
care and faithfulness of her heavenly Father. 
On the morning of the day before she died, 
she said with a most cheerful manner to a friend 
who sat by her side, " Do you not congratulate 
me? " And in the course of that last day she 
remarked to her husband that " she never had 
thought it possible that she could feel so willing 
to die, or so happy and peaceful in the prospect." 
And this calm renunciation was not in the least 
owing to a torpor of intellect or affections, for, 
to the last, her mind was clear, and her heart 
seemed overflowing with love and tenderness. 
As the last hour drew near, she exclaimed, " I 
think I must be dying ; for now it is growing 
dark." But no shadow nor darkness rested 
upon her soul : there all was light and gladness. 
When her little children were brought to her, 
she gave them each her farewell with perfect 
calmness and resignation, and not long after, 
without a struggle or groan, she fell asleep in 
Jesus. 

15 



~£6 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

jJear little Lucy said to me the morning after 
her mother's death, " Mamma is asleep ; she can- 
not open her eyes." She was too young to un- 
derstand at all the nature of death, but had an 
indefinite idea that her mother had gone to 
" Heaven, the place where God is, and the holy 
angels and good little children are." 

For a week or two after Mrs. Lord's death, 
Mr. Nevius and I were Mr. Lord's guests, — I 
taking some little oversight of the poor mother- 
less children. The baby was quickly removed 
to the house of one of our most loved missionary 
ladies, and when I returned to Mr. Rankin's, I 
took Lucy with me ; while her little sister Fan- 
ny went to live with Mrs. McCartee, and the two 
boys were kindly received by an English mission 
family. Thus in a few days that happy home 
was made desolate. 

Little Lucy was a sweet, affectionate child, and 
we soon learned to love each other. She and a 
daughter of Mrs. Rankin, of about the same 
age, were nice playmates and bedfellows. It 
was amusing to see them after they had arranged 
themselves for the night, each with a doll, nearly 
as large as herself, resting upon her arm. 

During the autumn and winter of this year, 
my health was very poor, and my voice so weak 






REMOVALS BY DEATH. 227 

that I was able to do but little which required 
much strength or effort in speaking. When all 
about me were so busy it seemed hard that I 
should be useless. Weak and disheartened, I 
often felt like echoing those quaint words of 
Herbert, — 

" All things are busy, 
Only I neither bring honey with the bees, 
Nor flowers to make that, nor the husbandry 

To water these. 
I am no link in Thy great chain, 
But all my company is a weed. 
Lord, place me in thy consort; give one strain 
To my poor reed." 

Our good friends began to suggest the impor- 
tance of my leaving Ningpo before the heat of 
another summer. But I was very averse to 
taking my husband from a place where it seemed 
to me that his services were more needed than 
they could be elsewhere, and I think, if I had 
been allowed the privilege of deciding the ques- 
tion, we would never have left there, though I 
can now see many reasons, aside from my health, 
why it was much better that we did so. 

In the month of April our hearts were sad- 
dened by the occurrence of another of those 
mysterious events for the solution of which we 
must wait the revelations of eternity. I refer 



228 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

to the death of Rev. Reuben Lowrie, of Shang- 
hai. His health had been declining for months, 
but he and his many friends had hoped that he 
might rally, and be long spared to the work 
which he so loved, and for which he was emi- 
nently fitted. 

He was a younger brother of Rev. Walter 
Lowrie, whose death at the hands of pirates 
I have already described. These brothers, I 
think, must have resembled each other in many 
respects. Both were possessed of clear, com- 
manding intellects, and of deep and ardent piety. 
Mr. Reuben Lowrie spoke the Shanghai dialect, 
particularly well, and preached in it with ease 
and power. His death was a great loss to the 
cause ; or rather it appeared so to us. How lit- 
tle we know of God's plans and purposes ! Many 
of his providences in heathen lands, where again 
and again he has removed those who were pre- 
eminently fitted for his work, seem as if expressly 
intended to teach his church to " cease from 
man," and to depend for success entirely upon 
him, — a lesson which we have been slo w to 
learn. " Not by might nor by power, but by my 
Spirit, saith the Lord." 






VISIT TO JAPAN. 229 



CHAPTER IX. 

VISIT TO JAPAN. 

Owing to the unsettled state of China, not 
only in consequence of the war in which she was 
engaged with the allied armies of France and 
England, but also on account of the movements of 
the Tai-ping rebels, who were then threatening 
various places on the coast, it was not practicable 
to attempt a residence at any of the usual re- 
treats in the neighborhood of Ningpo. 

While we were still living in Hang-chow, we 
had been somewhat surprised at receiving an ap- 
appointment from our society at home, to go in 
company with Dr. and Mrs. Hepburn, to begin a 
new station in Japan. Although we were not 
prepared, even after we were driven from Hang- 
chow, at once to accept this appointment and 
permanently give up China, it was decided, in 
June of 1860, that, in consideration of the low 
state of my health, and the doctor's imperative 
advice that I should not remain longer in Ning- 



230 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

po, we should spend a few months in Japan ; 
leaving the question of remaining there, or com- 
ing back to China, to be decided by providential 
indications in the future. 

At a recent meeting of the Ningpo Presby- 
tery, Mr. Nevius had been appointed to prepare 
a " Compendium of Theology," — a work much 
needed by the theological students and others. 
It was almost impossible, amidst the constant in- 
terruptions to which he was liable at Ningpo, to 
find the time necessary for the accomplishment 
of the task assigned him ; and a temporary so- 
journ elsewhere was for this reason most oppor- 
tune. 

We took passage for Shanghai, en route for 
Japan in a pretty little vessel called the 
"Heather Bell." On the second night we an- 
chored at Woo-sung, the mouth of the Hwang-po 
River, upon which Shanghai is situated. We 
counted nearly a dozen French ships of war, 
lying at anchor not far from us. They swarmed 
with soldiers, many of whom were Manilamen, 
miserable-looking objects, wrapped up in their 
blankets, as if suffering from the cold, although 
it was already June. Six or eight of the ships 
were getting up steam preparatory to starting for 
the Peiho. We were told that there was not a 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 231 

cordial state of feeling existing between the 
French and English ; that in fact, though acting 
together against the Chinese, there was so little 
kindliness between them that they scarcely knew 
whether to consider themselves friends or ene- 
mies. 

We found our foreign friends at Shanghai 
very uneasy, on account of an anticipated attack 
from the insurgents who were near them. On the 
day of our arrival, two hundred men were taken, 
on suspicion of being rebels, and would at once 
have been put to death, as such, had not the 
French interfered, and insisted upon the captives 
having a fair trial. It was found upon investi- 
gation that they were, as they asserted, a detach- 
ment of disbanded Imperialist soldiers. 

There was a report that Su-chau, the capital 
of the province, had already been captured by 
the insurgents ; in consequence of which, busi- 
ness in the foreign settlement was nearly sus- 
pended ; and so few ships were offering for Ja- 
pan that we were detained about two weeks 
before sailing. 

Although Shanghai was early occupied as 
a mission station, it has never been a very suc- 
cessful one. When we first reached China, the 
American Episcopal Church had a large mis- 



232 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

sion there ; while the American Baptists (South- 
ern), Methodists, Presbyterians, and several Eng- 
lish societies, also had their representatives. 
One member of our mission, Rev. Mr. Culbert- 
son, resided in the same compound with " Bishop 
Boon's Mission," as that of the American Episco- 
palians was called, while two or three families 
were at South Gate, on the opposite side of the 
city, three miles distant. Their dwelling-houses, 
together with a church and two small school build- 
ings, formed a pretty little settlement, in the 
midst of a dense Chinese population. Such a 
situation was much better adapted to missionary 
work than if it had been nearer the foreign com- 
munity. 

We spent some time at South Gate, with 
Mrs. Reuben Lowrie. She and her sister, with 
her three little children, were about preparing to 
return to the United States. We missed Mr. 
Lowrie constantly; the place seemed sadly 
changed without him. 

As it was important that we should be nearer 
the shipping, we came over to Mr. Culbertson's 
several days before leaving. Their kind hospi- 
tality we have enjoyed again and again ; and, no 
matter how frequent our visits, their cordial 
welcome was ever the same. 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 233 

Bishop Boon's Mission had just received a 
large reinforcement, among whom were Mr. and 
Mrs. Dudley Smith, and Mr. and Mrs. Parker, 
who were afterwards associated with us in Shan- 
tung. 

We were so fortunate as to secure a passage 
direct for Kanagawa, in a large English ship, 
called the " Challenger ; " the captain of which 
was a good Christian man, — such as is not seen 
as often as could be wished in his position. 

As our visit to Japan was merely an episode 
in our " Life in China," I shall not hesitate to 
describe both the country and our sojourn there. 

We were about a week in going from Shang- 
hai to Kanagawa; scarcely long enough to 
recover fully from sea-sickness. Indeed, some 
of the passengers were violently ill the whole 
way. We took with us, from Shanghai, a little 
son of Rev. Mr. Syle, of the American Episcopal 
Mission. He was in very delicate health, and 
was sent to Japan, with the hope that a more 
favorable climate might invigorate him. He 
went to be the guest of Mrs. S. R. Brown, of 
the Dutch Reformed Mission, of the U. S. 
Dear Freddie was one of the loveliest children I 
ever knew. We became fast friends, and he 
was my frequent visitor, and a sweet little com- 



234 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



panion. It is now several years since he was 
taken from earth to a better world. It seems 
natural to think of him there. « Of such is the 
kingdom of heaven." 

The night before we reached Japan we were 
in much danger, as the captain was uncertain as 
to his position, and the night was dark and fog- 
gy. But, when the morning dawned, we found 
ourselves in mid channel, and fairly in the Yed- 
do Bay, with the " Country of the Rising Sun" 
spread out before us. Kanagawa, and Yokaha- 
ma, the foreign settlement, were plainly in sight 
on the shore. Behind them rose a succession 
of low, undulating hills; while apparently near 
though m reality seventy miles distant, towered 
the symmetrical and snow-capped Fusiyama — 
the sacred mountain of Japan. This is an'ex- 
tinct volcano, — in shape, a very perfect cone, — 
m height, over fourteen thousand feet. At even- 
ing, as the setting sun gilds the clouds and 
mists which rest upon its summit, its "purple 
robes of gold and violet" seem 'indeed a fitting 
mantle for this prince of mountains. And when 
at dawn of day the whole mountain-side is 
tinted with a roseate hue, it is no less beautiful 
Look when you will, it is always lovely, and 
always fascinating ; and I do not wonder in the 






VISIT TO JAPAN. 235 

least at the reverence and affection with which 
the Japanese regard it. It is Fusi jama which we 
see so often represented by native artists, either 
in paintings or on their lacquered ware. 

The early history of Japan is enveloped in 
much obscurity ; and, until within a few years, 
its present character, the singular form of its 
government, and the peculiar habits and customs 
of its inhabitants have all been very imperfectly 
understood. As I do not feel myself capable of 
speaking with confidence on this subject, I shall 
avail myself of some statistics and information 
from Sir Rutherford Al cock's " Three Years in 
Japan," as fuller and more reliable than any 
other work within my reach. The quotations in 
the pages following will be nearly all from 
him. 

I quite agree with Sir Rutherford in his 
remark that " writers on Japan have hith- 
erto seen everything through highly colored 
glasses, reminding one of Dr. Pangloss, who 
"likes everything, and everybody, and believes 
everything is the very best in the best of all possi- 
ble worlds." Similar to this was the impression 
made upon many of the officers connected with 
our American squadron, to whom belonged the 
honor of opening the long closed empire. It 



236 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

certainly was not strange that, under the inter- 
esting circumstances of their first visit to the 
" beautiful Isles of the Rising Sun." they should 
have been ready to regard not only the country, 
but the natives, in somewhat too favorable a 
light. 

A limited trade between China and Japan has 
existed for many years ; but both nations have 
been too self-contained and unambitious to ex- 
tend their commerce as they might, had they 
been so inclined. 

"Toa half-piratical, half-trading expedition 
of three Portuguese adventurers in a Chinese 
junk, driven, they knew not whither, by 
stress of weather, is due the first discovery of 
Japan itself." The unknown coast upon which 
these adventurers landed ' ' proved to be that 
part of Japan owning the sovereignty of the 
Prince of Bungo ; and we find the Japanese, 
though vigilant, manifested no reluctance to ad- 
mit the strangers. They even showed them 
much kindness, and no obstacle was interposed 
to a free trade of the inhabitants in the inter- 
change of such commodities as they had with 
them. This was the commencement of European 
intercourse and trade, carrying us back to A. D. 
1542-5. 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 237 

" A few years later, Hansiro, a Japanese 
noble, fled his country for ' an act of homicide ' 
(having run some fellow-subject through the 
body, no doubt) , and took refuge in Goa. There 
he was converted and baptized. 

'• This proved the second link in the chain; for, 
being enterprising and shrewd, and animated, 
probably, with the hot zeal of a new convert, he 
soon persuaded the merchants of Goa. nothing 
loth, we may imagine, that they might establish 
a profitable trade with Japan : while to the Jes- 
uit fathers he promised a rich harvest of souls. 
He obviously preached to willing ears in both 
directions, and foremost among his ' listeners 
was the Jesuit &postle of the East, Francis 
Xavier. 

" A ship was forthwith loaded with goods and 
presents, wherewith to commence a permanent 
trade. For the accomplishment of spiritual ob- 
jects, Francis Xavier himself embarked with the 
Japanese refugee, and a number of his order, as 
missionaries. A goodly freight : Jesuit fathers 
to win souls ; merchants to make money ; mer- 
chandise for the people, and their carnal wants ; 
presents to propitiate the authorities, — all were 
duly provided ; and thus auspiciously began this 
second chapter. 



238 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

"On arriving at Bungo they were received 
with open arms, and not the slightest opposition 
was made to the introduction of either trade or 
religion. No system of exclusion then existed ; 
and such was the spirit of toleration that the 
government made no objection to the open 
preaching of Christianity. Indeed, the Portu- 
guese were freely admitted to go where they 
pleased in the empire, and to travel from one 
end of it to the other. The people freely 
bought the goods of the traders, and listened to 
the teachings of the missionaries. 

"And a little later we find it said, 'If the 
feudal princes were ever at any time ready to 
quarrel with the merchant, it was because he 
would not come to their ports.' Passing onward 
a few years, we find the Christianity of the Jes- 
uit fathers spreading rapidly and universally ; 
princes and rulers, nobles and plebeians, women 
and children, of all ranks and in large numbers, 
embraced the faith. Churches, hospitals, con- 
vents, and schools were scattered over the 
country. Intermarriages between the Portu- 
guese and wealthy Japanese were frequent. 

" After forty years, the Koman Catholic faith 
was in such high esteem, and had such undis- 
puted possession of the field (no Protestant ele- 






VISIT TO JAPAN. 239 

ment having at that time appeared on the scene), 
that a Japanese embassy, composed of three 
princes, was sent to Rome, to Pope Gregory 
Thirteenth, with letters and valuable presents. 
Their reception at Rome was not only magnifi- 
cent, but their whole progress through Spain 
and Italy was one continued ovation. ' A nation 
of thirty millions of civilized and intelligent peo- 
ple had been won from the heathen ! ' Great in- 
deed was the joy and triumph, and this was the 
culminating point of the church's success. But, 
strange to say, in that same hour, while the ar- 
tillery of St. Angelo, answered by the guns of 
the Vatican, was thundering a welcome to the 
Japanese ambassadors, an edict had gone forth 
from the Kubo-sama, or sovereign lord of Japan, 
banishing all Catholic missionaries within six 
months, on pain of death, and ordering all crosses 
to be thrown down, and all the churches to be 
razed to the ground. 

" When the Jesuit Superior, Pere Yalignani, 
returned with the ambassadors, after an absence 
of eight years, he found this edict in force, and 
partially carried out. The old King of Bungo, 
the great protector of the Jesuits, was dead, his 
successor ill disposed. All their Christian com- 
munities, schools, and hospitals had been sup- 






240 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



pressed, and the missionaries dispersed, expelled, 
or forced into concealment. 

" The first edict for the banishment of the mis- 
sionaries was published in June, 1587. 

« In the year 1635, the Portuguese were shut 
up in Decima, and only allowed to trade there 
amidst, it is said, the jeers and derision of their 
Dutch rivals. 

"A year or two later, the fall of the last 
Christian stronghold, Simabara, marked the 
final catastrophe, and the close of all relations 
with foreigners but the miserable ones allowed to 
the Dutch factory in Decima, Since that date, 
until recent treaties were signed, no Japanese 
had been allowed to leave his island home, nor 
foreigners to land. All who had been cast on 
shore, or made the attempt, had either been killed 
or imprisoned." 

Sir Rutherford further adds: "The deter- 
mining cause of the downfall and utter destruc- 
tion of the Roman church in Japan is to be 
sought in the pretension to a spiritual supremacy, 
which is but another name for the monopoly of 
power, since all that is political or secular must 
bow to God's vicegerent on earth, who claims the 
right to bind and to loosen, to absolve subjects of 



K,-<9I 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 241 

their oath and fealty, and dethrone kings bj hi? 
edict. 

" This, and no other cause, it is impossible 
to doubt, led to the final expulsion of every 
European, the extermination of every Christian 
convert, and the closing of every port for two 
ceDturies. The annihilation of commerce and 
material interests was merely a necessary conse- 
quence of the close connection that had subsisted 
between the professors of religion and the trad- 
ers, taken in connection with their common 
nationality." 

I have given these lengthy extracts, because 
I thought that others besides myself might feel 
interested in tracing the introduction, progress, 
and final overthrow of Roman Catholicism in 
Japan. It seems to me very sad that nations 
which, like China and Japan, have at early 
periods been so cordial and unsuspecting in 
their intercourse with other countries, should, in 
consequence of unjust and wrong dealings, have 
afterwards so completely changed in their policy 
and disposition. In both of these cases it seems 
that the emissaries of the Pope have, by their 
injudicious eagerness for gaining both temporal 
and spiritual power, wrought their own ruin, as 
well as great injury to others. 
16 



242 OUR LIFE IN CHINA, 

I have been struck by the coincidence that 
it was in the very same year in which Roman 
Catholicism in Japan was finally suppressed, and 
the last of the poor native converts were " buried 
under the ruins of their captured city, or hurled 
from the rocky islet of Pappenberg in the Bay of 
Nagisaki," that the Pilgrim fathers, fleeing from 
religious intolerance, landed upon the rocky 
shores of Plymouth, New England, " there to 
plant the seeds of a Protestant faith, and a 
great Protestant empire." 

During our first summer in Ningpo, we had 
the pleasure of meeting many of the officers con- 
nected with the United States ships Plymouth 
and Powhatan, which had just returned from 
Japan. The accounts they gave us of the coun- 
try and people, of whom we had until then known 
so little, were full of interest. 

In order to give a correct idea of the difficulties 
attending early negotiations, and to appreciate 
the remarkable change which has now taken 
place in Japan, I shall again quote from Sir R. 
Alcock, who certainly cannot be charged with 
prejudice in favor of America or Americans. 
After having hinted at some causes which he 
thinks contributed to the favorable result of open- 
ing the empire to foreign nations, he says : "It 






VISIT TO JAPAN. 243 

was under these circumstances that Commodore 
Perry appeared off Cape Idzoo on July 8, 1853, 
with an American squadron, consisting of two 
large-class steam frigates, and two sloops of war. 
And having delivered a letter from the President, 
proposing a treaty of amity and commerce, which 
the Japanese authorities showed little disposition 
to grant, though by no means prepared for what 
they evidently anticipated might, be the conse- 
quences of a refusal, the commodore took his de- 
parture, with a promise, or a menace, whichever 
way it may have been taken, of returning the 
following year, and with a ' larger fleet,' for a 
definite answer. 

" On February 12th, 1854, accordingly, the 
commodore reappeared in the Bay of Yeddo, 
with three steam frigates, four sloops of war, 
and two store-ships, a squadron of nine vessels." 

This formidable demonstration produced so 
great an effect that Commodore Perry succeeded, 
though not without very tedious delays, in se- 
curing a treaty, opening two unimportant ports, 
and promising aid to ships in distress. 

" This treaty of Commodore Perry's brought, 
in due time, a diplomatic agent of the United 
States to Simoda, in the person of Mr. Harris, 
with the special title of Consul General. There 



244 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

he resided until 1857, when, having a letter of 
credence from the President, he succeeded, with 
no small difficulty, in obtaining permission to 
proceed to Yeddo to present it, either to the 
Tycoon himself or to his ministers. But the 
Japanese would have been untrue to their own 
nature and instincts if this had been conceded 
without a stout resistance. 

"The way in which parallels of attack and 
words of counter-defence were drawn by the two 
contending forces engaged in it was very amus- 
ing to trace. The thorough-going and clear- 
headed American, feeling he held a key in the 
President's letter, which, rightly used, might 
open the gates of Yeddo, determined to put it to 
its destined use, on the side of attack. The 
Japanese officials, first of Simoda, and after- 
wards others delegated from the capital, bent 
every resource of subtlety and finesse, to get it 
out of his hands and leave him where he was, at 
an outer post. This on the side of the defence, 
These two parties, pitted against each other, 
under every possible form of courtesy, sought a 
diplomatic victory, — entrance into Yeddo and 
a treaty being the prizes, if won by the Ameri- 
can ; and a final abandonment of a system of ex- 
clusion and isolation, with all their traditional 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 245 

policy in regard to foreigners, on the part of the 
Japanese, the bitter fruit to them, if they were 
defeated." 

After most vexatious delays, Mr. Harris was 
at last permitted to go to Yeddo, where he spent 
several months framing a treaty. Having pre- 
vailed upon the Tycoon and his ministers to 
yield to his demands, he found himself again on 
the point of defeat in consequence of a combina- 
tion formed by the hereditary princes and daimios. 

Having received a promise that in the course 
of a few months the treaty should be formally 
concluded, he returned to Simoda. 

A very short time after this, the allied armies 
of England and France gained a complete victory 
over the Chinese, and extorted from them a 
treaty "opening the whole length and breadth 
of the empire, all the navigable rivers, and the 
gates of Pekin, nearly as hermetically sealed to 
foreigners as Yeddo itself had been for the last 
three centuries." 

The United States frigate Mississippi proceeded 
at once to Simoda to communicate this interest- 
ing item of news to Mr. Harris. It was just 
what he needed, and he hastened again to Yeddo. 
Alcock's account of the result, is as follows : 
"The Imperial commissioners were despatched to 



246 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

meet him (that is, Mr. Harris). ' What news 
is this ? ' ' Treaties have been signed with four of 
the greatest powers of the West, after the 
destruction of the Chinese batteries, by the Eng- 
lish and French. The same four powers will in 
another month be knocking at the gates of 
Yeddo. Do jou wish to lose all the advantages 
for which you have labored and risked so much ? ' 
1 No ! ' ' Very well, then, conclude without de- 
lay your treaty with the United States, already 
drafted, agreed to, and signed on both sides 
Give it formal execution, and thus secure your- 
selves from less moderate demands, which may 
within the month be urged by other powers, 
backed with imposing squadrons. ' And the dates 
were filled in accordingly, and the treaty for- 
mally executed on board the * Powhatan,' on 
the third day from Mr. Harris' arrival. 

1 ' Throughout the negotiations, apparently 
single-handed, and without any material support 
from his government, the American diplomatic 
agent thus surmounted all difficulties, and proved 
himself fully equal to the occasion. How such 
success was secured, with the knowledge since 
attained, it is easy to see ; but it detracts noth- 
ing from the credit due to the strategic skill with 
which the negotiator turned the weakness of the 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 247 

Japanese, the strength of his neighbors, and 
even his own want of material support from the 
government he represented, all equally to ac- 
count, for the success of his mission. Where 
others might have seen motives of discourage- 
ment, he found all the elements of victory." 

Ii is a sad fact that the consequences of yield- 
ing to the pressure of necessity, and concluding 
the American treaty, were most disastrous to all 
who participated in it. The Tycoon was assas- 
sinated, and the ministers, and even inferior offi- 
cers, such as secretaries and interpreters, were 
either killed or sent into banishment. 

But it was now too late to attempt any retro- 
grade policy, and in quick succession, the Japan- 
ese were obliged to conclude treaties with Eng- 
land, France, Russia, and I know not how many 
smaller powers. " It fairly rained treaties." 

We Americans have rather flattered ourselves 
that we are the " favored nation " in Japan, and 
the delusion, if it is such, is so pleasant that we 
scarcely care to be disabused of it. We are cer- 
tainly under great obligations to his excellency, 
Mr. Harris, for his fearlessness and determina- 
tion, as well as his diplomacy, under circum- 
stances as trying as can well be imagined. 

The government of Japan is a very compli- 






248 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

cated one, and it seems that foreigners, even 
those well situated for investigating it, had formed 
very erroneous impressions concerning it. I do 
not understand it well enough to attempt a 
description, nor would it be exactly in place here. 
There seems to have been, ever since the open- 
ing of the empire to foreigners, and perhaps 
before, a constant succession of revolutions and 
counter-revolutions. Whether the chief cause of 
these disturbances has been the desire on the 
part of some to introduce a more liberal policy, 
and to inaugurate a new era of progress, I can- 
not say. Progressive measures, I know, are very 
repugnant to the more conservative members of 
the government, who regard them as ' ' fraught 
with danger to the stability of the empire; " as 
perhaps indeed they are. 

It was in the summer of 1858 that the Amer- 
ican treaty was finally concluded. Two years 
later, when we went to Japan, an important and 
lucrative foreign trade had already been estab- 
lished, and settlements had been formed at 
Nagisaki, Kanagawa, and Hakodadi. The lat- 
ter of these places I have never visited, but, from 
accounts of others, I think it must be rather 
dreary and desolate, compared with some more 
southern localities. 






VISIT TO JAPAN. 249 

Kanagawa, which is only seventeen miles dis- 
tant from YeddOj was a small village, important 
only as offering a good anchorage, and being in 
close proximity to the capital. Its situation 
upon the Tocado [the main road which runs 
through the empire, and is much frequented by 
daimios and their suites going to or returning 
from Yeddo] made it so objectionable to the 
natives as the site for a fureign town, that for- 
eigners were, after a short time, obliged to remove 
to Yokohama, — a retired spot across the bay, 
two and a half miles distant by water, and four 
and a half by land. While we were in Japan, 
the American consul and missionaries were still 
residing in Kanagawa, though most of the resi- 
dents and the other consuls had already left 
there. The mercantile community consisted 
chiefly of branch establishments from large firms 
in Shanghai and Hong-kong, and also a rapidly 
increasing native population. 

Soon after the "Challenger" anchored in 
Yeddo Bay, Mr. Nevius went on shore, first to 
Yokohama, and afterwards to Kanagawa, where 
he had no difficulty in finding our missionary 
friends. Towards evening, Dr. Hepburn and he 
came off in a native boat, for little Freddie and 
me, and took us to his house. 



250 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

We found Dr. and Mrs. Hepburn nicely 
settled in a temple, which had been repaired 
and arranged so that it was both comfortable and 
pleasant. Rev. S. R. Brown and family lived 
in the same compound, in a house belonging to 
the temple. Another family, for some time con- 
nected with a small Baptist organization in the 
United States, occupied a little house in one cor- 
ner of the same enclosure. Dr. Hepburn's 
"temple " was very unlike buildings for similar 
purposes in China, being much smaller, and of a 
lighter construction. A long, covered passage- 
way led from it to Mr. Brown's house, which 
was a large, low building, very irregular in de- 
sign, with little alleys leading through it in dif- 
ferent directions. It was a poor old place 
when they went there ; but a few repairs and 
foreign furniture quite changed its appearance; 
while the extensive garden surrounding it gave 
it a pleasantly rural and sequestered air. I 
think they must have been sorry when obliged 
to leave there and go over to Yokohama to live. 

Dwelling-houses, shops, and also the temples 
are all built rather low, — very seldom, I be- 
lieve, having more than one story. They have 
wooden frames, very securely joined together, 
but the walls are only laths, or light pieces of 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 251 

wood, filled in with some kind of mortar. Houses 
of the poorer class are usually covered with 
thatch, but those of the better sort have long, 
sloping tile roofs, — I think not so pretty as 
some we have seen in China. It is necessary 
that buildings should be of some such style, as 
earthquakes are very common, and every few 
years the Japanese anticipate having their dwell- 
ings shaken down. Heavy stones and bricks 
tumbling about one's head would not be agree- 
able, nor, I should fancy, would the heavy tiles 
or timbers which are now used. I think, in a 
country where earthquakes are so common, sim- 
ple tents would be admirable, as they could do 
little harm, no matter how violently shaken. 
However, there is nothing so fearful but that 
people get used to it. In Japan we do not fear 
earthquakes, as I had imagined I should. " Did 
you feel that ? " some one cries. " Yes, of course 
I did; a good shake, was it not?" When a 
wrench, unusually strong, causes the timbers to 
sway and creak, people usually feel like rushing 
out of doors, —though, even then, such as are 
particularly stoical, sit still, to see if more are to 
follow. It is singular to notice how differently 
persons are affected by the strange and inexpres- 
sible sensation of the earth trembling and quiv- 



252 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

ering, or shaking, as it does in an earthquake t 
be it ever so slight. Yeddo seems to ha^e been 
singularly unfortunate, having been, I do not 
know how many times, partially destroyed by 
earthquakes and the fires which invariably ac- 
company them. 

For several weeks after reaching Kanagawa, 
we boarded with Dr. and Mrs. Hepburn, at 
Jo-bu-ts-gee, as their temple was called, having 
apartments on one side of the dining room, cor- 
responding with their parlor, which was opposite. 
All partitions in our houses were the usual native 
sliding-screens, which, being simply paper pasted 
over a kind of lattice, while they screen from 
sight, do not prevent the transmission of sounds ; 
so that, without desiring it, persons are con- 
stantly in danger of overhearing conversations 
not intended for them. These paper partitions 
are very pretty, and sometimes also convenient, 
as, when larger rooms are required, they can be 
shoved to one side, leaving a large open space. 
For a long while Sabbath services where held at 
Dr. Hepburn's; and, by thus removing the 
screens, a room sufficiently large and very pleas- 
ant was secured. Before our arrival, Mr. Browu 
had preached regularly every Lord's day, but 
afterwards he and Mr. Nevius alternated. The 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 253 

service was subsequently removed to Yokohama, 
as more convenient for most foreign residents. 
It was well attended, by, it seemed to me, a 
larger proportion of the merchants and civilians 
than is common in China. 

Missionaries and other foreign settlers were, 
in those days, much thrown together, and a cor- 
dial and pleasant state of feeling existed among 
them. Perhaps the consciousness we all felt of 
insecurity and danger, may have been one bond 
of union and sympathy; while another reason 
for such pleasant social relations lay in the fact 
that the first missionaries were for the most 
part, persons well calculated to command the 
respect and affection of those with whom they 
came in contact. E. M. Dorr, Esq., the United 
States consul, was very kind and obliging, and 
gave the missionaries much assistance in securing 
residences and in various other ways. His Ex- 
cellency, Mr. Harris, from the first, also exhib- 
ited a kindly interest in them and their success, 
visiting them at their homes and inviting them 
to the American Legation at Yeddo. 

Very soon after reaching Japan we com- 
menced the study of the language, not perhaps 
with the energy and interest we would have felt 
had we been certain of living there permanently, 






254 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

but with such good success as to enable us, in a 
few weeks or months, to have a sufficient smat- 
tering of it to use in necessary intercourse with 
the natives. Our knowledge of Chinese was of 
some assistance, as, though the two languages 
are entirely separate, and very different, Japan- 
ese scholars also understand a certain amount 
of Chinese. When sore pressed for the meaning 
of a word, my teacher would turn to it in a 
Chinese dictionary, or write it himself. If I 
did not recognize it, I would carry it to my hus- 
band, and among us we usually managed to 
solve the difficulty without applying to Dr. or 
Mrs. Hepburn, who had already made consider- 
able progress in the language. 

Although Mr. Nevius for a few weeks gave 
some time daily to the study of Japanese, he 
was principally engaged in his Chinese work on 
Theology, which under such favorable circum- 
stances progressed rapidly. 

Had my health been better I should have en- 
joyed the study of this new tongue, exceedingly. 
It is a beautiful 'language, — capable of great 
force of expression, and with an endless variety, 
in fact a most unnecessary variety, in its forms 
and changes. It is much more musical than 
Chinese ; but whether it is also "more difficult " 






VISIT TO JAPAN. 255 

as Las been asserted, I hive my doubts. I sus- 
pect that one reason for its having been thought 
so is that those who have acquired it, after 
having mastered the Chinese, must necessarily 
have done so at a somewhat advanced age ; which 
would account, at least in a measure, for its 
proving to them more difficult of acquisition. 
My principal reason for not crediting the asser- 
tion alluded to is that I cannot possibly conceive 
of anything involving more hard study to ac- 
quire than the written character of China. It 
is, however, possible that the spoken language 
may present greater difficulties than are found 
in some few of the colloquials of China. 

The Japanese have three different forms of 
writing their language. They have two sepa- 
rate alphabets, called the Katakana and the Hira- 
kana ; and they also use the Chinese character 
either by itself or in combination with their 
own letters. A page of a Japanese book pre- 
sents a strange medley; cursive, irregular 
strokes, chasing each other down the column, 
here of one kind and there of another, with occa- 
sional Chinese characters, introduced apparently 
only to give an air of respectability to the other- 
wise unmeaning-looking composition. A well 
written or printed Chinese book, with its elabo- 



256 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

rate and intricate symbols, is calculated to im- 
press a novice with the idea that the subject 
treated of must be somewhat recondite, to re- 
quire such a difficult style of writing to express 
it. But, at a first glance, one almost wonders 
whether the irregular though simple letters of a 
Japanese book can be made to convey any 
weighty ideas whatever. 

There is an extensive literature in Japanese ; 
while many of the books used in schools and 
read by the more educated are in the Chinese 
character. It is my impression that the women 
in Japan are more commonly taught to read 
than those of China ; which is natural, as many 
of the books in circulation are written in the 
simplest style, which is easy to learn when com- 
pared with the Chinese character. 

Sign-boards and inscriptions in various places, 
the names and headings of books, etc., etc., are, I 
believe, usually in Chinese ; while the works of 
Confucius are almost as well known here as in 
the land of his birth, and are held in the highest 
veneration. While many foreigners have an 
idea that the Japanese are vastly superior to the 
Chinese, their own estimate of themselves is dif- 
ferent. They look up to the Chinese as their in- 
structors and models ; and surely they ought to 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 257 

be able to form a juster estimate of their relative 
positions than others can. That they do thus 
regard them is evident from the fact that they 
have adopted from China, not only the written 
language and literature, but also a whole system 
of ethics. 

There is a certain quickness and shrewdness, 
and a readiness to learn of others, in which the 
Chinese compare unfavorably with the Japanese, 
but in most respects I think our staid and some- 
what too conservative Chinese may claim the 
pre-eminence. 

Some of the early visitors in Japan were im- 
pressed by the supposed purity and morality of 
the inhabitants. I wish, indeed, that they had 
not been mistaken ; but that they were so, most 
grievously, is well known to every one who has 
resided in the country even a short time. There 
is a lamentable absence of modesty in Jap- 
anese females. On one summer afternoon's ride 
I saw two entirely nude women, the one in her 
bath-tub beside an open window, another sitting 
unconcerned on a bench near the house. From 
a bundle of clothing at her side, I inferred that 
she had just completed her ablutions, and was 
about making her toilet. These women sat ap- 
parently as unconscious of impropriety as if 






258 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

they had been clad with ceremonious precision. 
An artist desiring to make a study of the human 
form divine need not go farther than Japan for 
models. In the warm weather many men in 
the streets have no clothing except a narrow 
strip of cloth round the loins ; and the women 
also are slightly clad on the upper parts of their 
bodies. 

It would be very pleasant to attribute the 
custom of women frequenting the public baths 
with persons of the other sex, and other equally 
notorious facts, to the unconscious simplicity 
of their innocent natures ; but stubborn facts 
will not allow this easy explanation. I am en- 
tirely unacquainted with females of the upper 
classes of Japan ; but I presume they excel their 
less favored sisters in the domestic virtues. 
There as elsewhere poverty and vice too often 
go together. 

It was for a time supposed that the Japanese 
were an exceedingly temperate people ; while, in 
fact, intemperance is so prevalent that Dr. 
Hepburn speaks of them as a "nation of drunk- 
ards." In this vice at least, says Sir R. Alcock, 
" The Japanese have nothing to learn from for- 
eigners ; that certainly cannot be laid to our 
charge. They are as much given to drunkei* 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 259 

ness as any of the northern races of Europe, as 
quarrelsome as the worst, and far more danger- 
ous in their cups." There is a species of spir- 
ituous liquor called saki, which is a common drink. 
It produces an effect very quickly, rendering 
persons who have taken it talkative and mis- 
chievous. There was nothing which we feared 
more, in our rides and rambles, than meeting in- 
toxicated yaconinSj as the two-sworded gentry 
are called ; and even the peasantry, who are at 
other times civil and well disposed, when under 
the influence of saki are quarrelsome and dan- 
gerous. 

But notwithstanding these national blemishes, 
and others besides, which I should be obliged to 
mention if my object were to present an accurate 
analysis of the Japanese character, they have 
many admirable traits. All they need, or at 
least their principal want, is the introduction 
of a pure Christianity. Give them this, and it 
will not be long before they will be fairly enti- 
tled to take their place among the most highly 
civilized nations of the world. 

Had Protestant Christians shown the same 
earnestness and perseverance which characterized 
the early Romanists, perhaps long ere this the 
Bible would have been a well-known book in 






260 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

Japan, and, by the beneficent influence which in- 
variably emanates therefrom, would have given 
them what they are now entirely destitute of, — 
a knowledge of God ; would have corrected the 
depraved public sentiment ; instilled new and cor- 
rect views of the sanctity of the social relations ; 
have taught a juster notion of the value of hu- 
man life, now so thoughtlessly sacrificed ; in fine, 
would have made the Japanese, what they cer- 
tainly are capable of being, a noble Christian 
nation. ■ 






VISIT TO JAPAN. 261 



CHAPTER X. 

VISIT TO JAPAN — CONTINUED. 

A few mornings after reaching Japan, there 
was brought to us from Yeddo, for sale, one of 
the prettiest little piebald ponies which I ever 
saw. I fancied it at once ; and, after my hus- 
band had ridden it to try its gait and disposition, 
he bought and presented it to me. 

I named the pretty creature Donald, after a 
little boy in the United States. He was very 
tiny, and not very strong ; was spirited though 
gentle, with a bright, intelligent eye, and arching 
neck, and such a dainty, thorough-bred air that I 
scarcely needed to be told that he had been a pet 
and favorite in some wealthy family, as was the 
case. His walk was rapid, and his gait so easy 
that I had many a long country ride upon his 
back, while still too weak to have ridden at all 
upon most other horses. 

Much has been said of the fine roads of Japan, 
but aside from the Tocado, the imperial road to 



262 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

the capital; I saw none which compared at all 
favorably with roads in Western lands. They 
are wider than the foot-paths of Southern China, 
but j owing to the nature of the soil, and to so 
little attention being given them, walking is at 
certain seasons quite out of the question, and 
sometimes, except on the Tocado, even riding on 
horseback is also almost impracticable. 

Soon after we purchased my pony, we rode 
one day, in company with Dr. Hepburn and 
several others, to a beautiful valley near Kana- 
gawa. The good doctor had forgotten that the 
recent rain had softened the roads, and so before 
we knew it we found ourselves in almost a quag- 
mire. The mud was so deep that the horses 
sank in almost to their knees. The earth was 
jet black, and reminded me of that in the woods 
at home, or of the black " muck " of the western 
prairies. On we went, sinking deeper and deep- 
er in this '"'slough of despond," until I became 
so nervous and miserable that Mr. Nevius kindly 
turned off into a little path which beckoned in- 
vitingly to one side ; while the more courageous 
members of the party pressed forward. I do 
not know whether their perseverance was re- 
warded by anything more charming than our 
quiet ride home. We picked our way through 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 263 

the narrow paths winding here and there, until, 
though not having been very far from home, we 
had ridden a sufficiently long distance. 

Another evening Mr. Nevius and I, accom- 
panied by the groom, or betto, as he is called, 
who always runs at the side of the horses, or 
within a short distance of them, started out 
rather early, the sun being obscured, so that it 
was pleasant to do so. After passing through 
the town, we turned up a path running over a 
hill, and soon came into a retired country road 
lying through pine woods, with so much under- 
growth that we had frequently to push away the 
branches from in front of us. The view was 
very changing, — now tall trees, then again low 
bushes, then cultivated patches, with glimpses 
of lovely scenery in the distance and at our sides. 
The groom was our guide ; but we were not sure 
that he knew where he was leading us, until he 
brought us at length to a temple called Bic-ken- 
zie, where we had been before. The situation of 
this temple is delightful, and it is kept perfectly 
clean and orderly. The walls are low, and the 
floors matted. The timbers and woodwork seemed 
particularly fine. We dismounted, and sat for 
a while on the steps, and had a drink of refresh- 
ingly cold water. We noticed the groom take a 



264 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

dipper of water and throw it into the horses' 
mouths, not to drink, but merely to cool them. 
They were used to it, and seemed to like it well. 
On our way home, passing by some groups of 
children, they called out to us " Ohaiyo!" pro- 
nouncing the word just as we do the name of the 
"Buckeye State" of America. This is their 
usual salutation ; but shouting it out in such q 
free and boisterous manner was not altogether re- 
spectful. The Japanese, especially the children, 
frequently accost foreigners with several other 
epithets or phrases, not very agreeable to hear, 
such as baka, fool; to-jin, Chinaman; jiki-jiki, 
quick, quick : and even ohaiyo, which simply 
means "good-morning," onata, "you," or yoka 
"good," when used in this way, are merely in- 
excusable familiarities or impertinences, which 
the Japanese would never presume to use among 
themselves, at least towards their superiors. 

The country in the immediate vicinity of 
Kanagawa has a mild sort of beauty. It is not 
nearly so wild and diversified as the hilly region 
back from Ningpo ; nor does it equal Hang-chow ; 
but still there is a freshness and softness in the 
landscape not often seen elsewhere. There, as in 
China, you see many indications of the skill of 
the inhabitants in the cultivation of the soil. 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 265 

There was nothing in Japan which I admired 
more than its trees and flowers. The latter in- 
deed are usually almost odorless, but thej are 
none the less beautiful to look upon. 

" The flora of this district (that is, near Kana- 
ka wa) is very remarkable (as indeed is that of 
the whole of Japan) for the great abundance of 
evergreens. Four-fifths of the plants growing 
wild in this neighborhood belong to this class, so 
that even during the winter months the country 
has a clothed and cheerful aspect. The assort- 
ment of showy, flowering plants is not so great 
as might be imagined ; but for this the abundance 
and variety of foliage fully compensate. The 
Japanese are great amateur gardeners. Every 
cottage of any size has its garden attached to 
it." The " camellia japonica " is very com- 
mon ; oleanders, hydrangeas, wistaria, and many 
other flowers which in Western lands are either 
very rare, or hot-house plants, there flourish in 
the open air. 

The trees of Japan seemed to me more beauti- 
ful than any I had ever seen elsewhere, but per- 
haps that was because they so much excelled in 
variety and size those to which I had been ac- 
customed in China. Oaks, pines, maples, and 
bamboos are only a few of the numerous varie- 



266 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

ties used either for timber or for shade in the 
vicinity of Kanagawa. 

I must not forget to mention the hedges, which 
are a noticeable feature of the country, and 
which, for variety and beauty, can hardly bo 
equalled elsewhere, not even in "old England." 
You often see miserable farmer dwellings sc 
prettily enclosed and surrounded as to produce, 
notwithstanding their own ugliness, a pleasing 
effect. " Here is a low hedge, or border rather, 
made of the tea-plant, two or three bushes deep, 
and growing about three feet high, not unlike 
the ordinary flowering camellia, of which it is a 
species. Now we come to an enclosure fenced 
in with nectarines, and there is a hedge of pome- 
granate. Now it is a tall, close-twisted fence of 
cryptomeria, while over that porch of thatch 
the wisteria spreads, with insatiable desire, its 
far-reaching arms, to be covered in spring with 
glorious clusters of purple flowers." 

The vegetables of Japan are so numerous that 
it would seem as if in this department little 
more could be desired. They include Irish po- 
tatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, beans, carrots, tur- 
nips, beets, yams, ginger, the egg-plant, cucum- 
bers, leeks, garlic, etc., etc., an almost endless 
list. But there was no vegetable which I liked 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 267 

better than young bamboo sprouts; which, cut 
in slices, boiled, and nicely prepared for the 
table, are a real delicacy. This is also eaten 
in China. 

Rice, cotton, millet, tobacco, wheat, etc., are 
also extensively grown. 

The simple enumeration of the fruit-trees of 
Japan, as of China, would give an idea of deli- 
cious and abundant fruit, while the fact is that 
practically there is none at all fit to be eaten. 
The varieties are poor, and that miserable prac- 
tice, so common in China, of plucking the fruit 
while it is still quite green, also prevails there, 
so that we scarcely know what its taste would be 
were it allowed to mature. They have peaches, 
pears, plums, apricots, persimmons, oranges, 
lemons, figs, etc., etc. The grapes of Japan are 
pretty good ; and so also are some kinds of mel- 
ons. The absence of good fruit is not owing to 
natural causes, for both climate and soil are 
thought well adapted to it, but rather to neglect 
in securing good varieties, and want of skill in 
cultivation. 

It would seem as if, among so many beautiful 
trees and flowers, there ought to be numerous 
birds enlivening the landscape by their melody ; 
but, strange to say, there are comparatively few 



268 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

of any sort, and scarcely any which sing. The 
forests would be noiseless did not the insects sup- 
ply the void by a chorus as loud if not as sweet 
as the songs of many birds. 

There is an abundance of wild game in the 
region of Yeddo. In passing through paddy- 
fields, or near them, we frequently come close 
upon great numbers of white and gray storks 
four or five feet tall. They, as well as the wild 
fowl, are very tame, as they may well be, feel- 
ing quite secure of their lives, go where they 
may. There is a stringent law forbidding the 
killing of birds or animals within twenty miles 
of Yeddo, — an exception being made, I fancy, 
allowing the slaughter of the human species, 
foreigners at least, whenever a Japanese feels in- 
clined to try his skill as a marksman, or to test 
the temper of his sword. 

This law against shooting has been most an- 
noying to the foreign settlers, especially the 
English, who again and again have violated it ; 
in some cases receiving not only from the Japan- 
ese, but from their own officials, almost too severe 
a punishment for so trifling an offence. 

It was my invariable custom while in Japan, 
whenever I was well enough, after spending the 
day in study or other employments, to go out 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 269 

towards evening with my husband for about two 
hours' recreation. We occasionally crossed the 
bay to Yokohama, to visit or shop, and sometimes 
rode off, in quiet country paths, over the hills or 
through the valleys. Then again by ourselves, 
or in company with others, we would take a can- 
ter on the wide, home-like Tocado, — home-like, 
however, only as regards the comparatively wide, 
smooth road. The scenes we meet there could 
never be found in other lands, either in city or 
country. 

A ride on the Tocado gives a striking glimpse 
of Japanese every-day life. The houses in sum- 
mer are so open that in passing in front we can 
see quite through them. They certainly are 
much cleaner than Chinese houses of the same 
class. There is a singular absence of furniture. 
No chairs, sofas, tables, or bedsteads are used. 
A low stand, perhaps not a foot high, some 
dishes of china, or lacquer, and a few tray3, 
besides some simple cooking utensils, seem about 
all a Japanese family requires for house-keeping. 
The matting which covers the floor is stretched 
over straw mattresses about six feet long, and 
three or four wide ; and these form a soft, pleasant 
bed, upon which the natives sleep at night, 
wrapped in thick, wadded quilts, their heads rest- 



270 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

ing upon the strangest little pillows made ol 
wood, with only a tiny cushion to support the 
head or neck. 

Most of the road from Kanagawa to Yeddo 
is lined with houses, which, in some cases, are 
grouped into little hamlets, in others are much 
scattered. There are numerous trees shading 
the road, which lies most of the way near the 
water's edge. The whole distance is thronged 
either with pedestrians, or travellers on horse- 
back. You meet also numerous pack-horses 
and porters, carrying heavy loads. The cango 
is a kind of conveyance, not at all equal for ease 
and convenience to a common Chinese sedan. 
It consists of a semicircular piece of wicker 
work, the ends of which are swung from a long 
pole. The occupant, having spread a cotton quilt 
or some garment in the bottom, stows himself 
away, in a posture so bent and uncomfortable 
that I should think it would soon become unen- 
durable. The norimon is better ; but it is by no 
means pleasant. It resembles an Indian palan- 
quin, rather than a Chinese sedan, and is carried 
usually, perhaps always, by four bearers ; while 
the lighter and more unpretending cango has but 
two. 

The greatest difficulty in riding on the Tocado 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 271 

is the risk we run of knocking down, or going 
against, foot travellers and children, who swarm 
on every side. The groom usually sees to this, 
and clears the road ; and we were always strictly 
careful to ride slowly where the road was crowd- 
ed. Some of the "fast young men " from Ka- 
nagawa, dashing recklessly along, three or four 
abreast, often come in too close proximity to per- 
sons on foot, who, however, usually manage to 
get out of the way of their horses' hoofs. One 
evening, as Mrs. Hepburn was riding my Donald 
in company with Mr. Nevius, they met such a 
party. As they were endeavoring to slacken 
their speed somewhat in passing, the horse of one 
of the gentlemen fell, pitching its rider directly 
over its head into a pond of muddy water, seri- 
ously injuring his spotless white trowsers, and 
his feelings, no doubt, still more. 

Here and there on the Tocado are guard- 
houses, with yaconins in waiting. Whenever we 
approached these places the groom was sure to 
come up and place his hand upon the bridle of 
one of our horses ; not for our protection, but to 
show that he belonged to us ; so that the yaconins 
would not molest him. The abject, cringing 
manner with which the common people approach 
these lordly two-sworded men is really pitiable. 






272 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

They sometimes almost crawl ; while the yaco- 
nins appear to receive this homage as only their 
natural right. 

One evening while we were staying at Dr. 
Hepburn's, I sat on the steps in front of the 
house, awaiting the return of Dr. and Mrs. Hep- 
burn, who had been at Yokohama. They came 
in just before dark. Mrs. Hepburn's first excla- 
mation as I met her was, " I have been struck ! " 
And indeed she had been struck a blow, so vio- 
lent, that had it fallen upon her head, as had 
evidently been intended, she would not have 
been there to tell us of it. As they were pass- 
ing through a narrow street, very near home, 
some person coming from behind, with a long 
bamboo or a heavy pole, had aimed a blow at 
Mrs. Hepburn's head. It fell upon her shoulder, 
however, doing no other damage than giving her 
a severe bruise and a fright. Her friends were 
all, of course, much excited, and very indignant 
at such a cowardly and unprovoked attack. A 
reward was offered for the arrest of the offender ; 
but I think he was never discovered. This inci- 
dent confirmed us in the opinion that our lives 
were altogether insecure. In fact, we had long 
been painfully aware of this. Every few months 
from the time of foreigners first settling in J a- 






VISIT TO JAPAN. 273 

pan, some fearful tragedy had been enacted. 
The first murder of foreigners was that of two 
or three Russians from a Russian squadron lying 
in the harbor. An officer and two men had 
gone on shore early in the evening to make some 
purchases, and in returning to their boat, while 
passing through a principal street, they were at- 
tacked, and the officer, and at least one of the 
men, were killed. So many Japanese were in 
the immediate neighborhood that it would have 
been easy for them to avert this terrible catas- 
trophe, had they desired to do so. 

During the month of January, a few weeks 
before we left Japan, and while we were keep- 
ing house in a little temple quite removed from 
the other mission compound, and in a very 
exposed situation, had any one chosen to molest 
us, there occurred another sad event, the death 
of Mr. Hewskin, Mr. Harris's interpreter. He 
was returning on horseback, late one evening, 
from the Russian Legation. He had an escort 
of three mounted yaconins and several men car- 
rying lanterns, yet, notwithstanding these pre- 
cautions, he was waylaid and wounded so 
severely that he died a short time afterwards. 
A Romish priest, connected with the French 
consulate, arrived in time to administer "ex- 

18 






274 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

treme unction," and Mr. Hewskin, I believe, 
expired in his arms. The assassins were never 
brought to punishment; indeed, I am not sure 
that they were even known ; certainly not by- 
foreigners. 

Mr. Hewskin had been with Mr. Harris since 
his first residence in Japan, and his assistance to 
him and other foreigners had been invaluable. 
It was also supposed that he was a great favorite 
with the Japanese. What, then, could have in- 
duced any one to perform so cruel, yet cowardly, 
an act? 

Soon after this murder, all the foreign min- 
isters, except Mr. Harris, left Yeddo for a time. 
He certainly showed great fearlessness in re- 
maining, as well as remarkable confidence in the 
natives, whom he professed to believe regretted 
the assassination of his secretary, and entertained 
only kind intentions towards himself. Whether 
his confidence was misplaced or not, I am not 
capable of judging. 

I have mentioned incidentally our house- 
keeping. After we had decided to remain 
some time in Japan, as Mrs. Hepburn found the 
duties of caring for so large a family too onerous, 
we removed to a litttle temple called So-ko-jee. 
It stood at the foot of a very steep hill, upon the 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 275 

top of which was a " lookout," with an extended 
view far over the bay, and the surrounding town 
and country. The temple was not at all pretty 
externally, but within was very cosey and com- 
fortable. Two gentlemen, who had previously 
occupied the house, kindly left us some articles 
of furniture ; and what else we needed for the 
short time we expected to remain we had little 
difficulty in gathering together, or disposing of 
when we left. We had only the native matting 
on the floors. This would be a nice substitute 
for carpets, were it more durable. 

As I look back to those pleasant days in 
So-ko-gee, they seem to me very like other days 
away back in my childhood, when I used to 
experience unalloyed happiness in " playing keep 
house." Japanese houses all have a kind of 
" play-house" (not theatrical) look, and our 
temple, for some reason, seemed particularly 
of this character. Its low walls, paper parti- 
tions, and white matted floors were very unlike 
dwelling-houses, either in China, or at home. 
It was, however, quite large enough for our use, 
having a parlor, dining-room, and study, with 
two sleeping-rooms, and one or two small apart- 
ments used as a kitchen and servants' room. 
The kitchen was inconveniently far from the 



276 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

sitting-room, but that did not prevent my run- 
ning to it many times in the course of the day. 
At no other period during my missionary life did 
I allow myself to give so much time to domestic 
pursuits. Having only native servants, who 
knew nothing of foreign cooking, I was obliged 
to do most of this myself. Although it was 
rather too much of a tax upon my limited 
strength, I enjoyed it, and was glad of the expe- 
rience I then acquired. Whenever any point in 
the culinary art completely baffled my knowledge 
or ingenuity, or when my faithful " cook-book " 
was unable to guide me, I had only to apply to 
my kind friends at Jo-bu-ts-gee, for aid and as- 
sistance, which were always most cheerfully 
given. 

With the exception of milk and butter, — and 
the latter we could generally procure from the 
foreign settlement, or the ships, — we had an 
abundance of good, wholesome food. Oysters, 
clams, and prawns, of unusually large size and 
fine quality, could be obtained at any time, as 
also fowls, eggs, and vegetables in profusion. 
For meats, with the exceptions mentioned, we 
were dependent upon the foreign market at Yo- 
kohama. The natives of Japan, like the Chinese, 
live mostly upon rice, which is of an excellent 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 277 

quality ; native wheat flour is also pretty good, 
though not by any means equal to that of the 
United States. 

Our servants could not speak a word of Eng- 
lish, but while boarding at Dr. Hepburn's we 
had acquired enough of their language to get on 
without much difficulty. 

One day while I was at work in my kitchen, 
I heard a child, in a shed which stood in one cor- 
ner of our garden, and only a few feet from 
where I then was, crying very bitterly, as if in 
pain. I inquired of the servant what was the 
matter, and he replied very carelessly, " Oh, that 
is nothing ; the child has small-pox I " — seem- 
ing to regard that disease as we in America would 
measles, or other comparatively slight ailments. 
However, I had so often in China been ex- 
posed to small-pox, that I was not particularly 
alarmed at hearing that we had a case in such 
close proximity. 

I regretted very much that while in Japan I 
had so little opportunity to become acquainted 
with the native women. With a few exceptions, 
I was never in any private dwellings, so that I 
know little from personal observation of their 
home life and customs. Many women called 
from time to time, just from curiosity ; but my 






278 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

knowledge of the language was too slight for 
more than a very simple conversation. 

Young girls, both in China and Japan, are 
very good-looking ; some of them really pretty. 
But in both countries they fade early. In Ja- 
pan they have adopted the strange custom of 
painting or dyeing the teeth of all married wom- 
en, which makes them hideous. I cannot imag- 
ine anything more ugly than a smiling Japanese 
matron. The contrast between the red gums 
and the jet-black teeth is so unpleasant as to 
rob even a smile of all its sweetness. 

Japanese mothers have an amusing way of 
disposing of their young children. It must, on 
some accounts, be a misfortune to be the oldest 
child, at least, the oldest girl ; I am not sure 
that the same duty is imposed upon boys. You 
often see a little girl of only seven or eight years 
of age with a younger baby tied upon her back, 
running about at play, or through the streets, 
apparently but slightly disturbed by her burden. 
In the same way mothers carry their very 
young infants, their poor little heads lolling 
about at great risk of dislocating their necks. I 
am sure they must be uncomfortable ; but they 
do not cry. I think, having found by experience 
that crying brings no relief, they have come to 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 279 

the philosophic resolution to bear their trials, 
not only with resignation, but with assumed 
cheerfulness. 

In the latter part of August, 1860, in com- 
pany with the other missionaries, we attended a 
party given by Mr. and Mrs. Schoyer of Yo- 
kohama. The invitations were for a dejeuner; 
at one o'clock ; but, as some of the guests were 
late, we did not sit down -to breakfast until two. 
The meal, having five or six courses, was as pro- 
tracted a3 a dinner. We sat at table until nearly 
five o'clock, which so over-fatigued me as to 
make me ill, and unfit for enjoying the various 
entertainments which followed. However, after 
taking a rest, I was able to go for a while to 
look at some curious juggler performances. 
The actor, it was said, was one who was often 
employed to perform before the emperor. After 
dark there were some pretty fireworks. During 
the juggler's exhibition we had the privilege (I 
cannot call it pleasure) of listening to some na- 
tive music ; horrible, discordant sounds, not as 
near an approach to harmony as we sometimes 
hear in China. 

Our Kanagawa party left at about nine o'clock, 
though urged by our kind hostess to remain to 
dinner, which I believe was not partaken of until 






280 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

midnight. The prettiest feature of this day's 
fete was the tasteful decoration of the house. 
Nearly all the inner partitions between the rooms 
had been removed, and the walls were hung with 
evergreens and flowers. Exquisite taste had 
been displayed, and after lamplight the effect 
was most striking. It seemed like fairy-land. 

On the ninth of September we experienced a 
very severe typhoon. Fourteen houses in Yoko- 
hama were blown down, and a great amount of 
property destroyed ; but no lives were lost, or at 
least none among foreigners on shore. It was 
probably in this storm that the " Camilla, ' ? an 
English man-of-war, was lost at sea, somewhere 
between Hakodadi and Kanagawa. She sailed from 
the former place about the first of the month, 
and was never heard of afterwards. She had 
on board, with her officers and crew, in all one 
hundred and thirty men. It seemed too dreadful 
to imagine what was undoubtedly her fate. 

During the autumn the two United States 
men-of-war, Hartford and Niagara, visited Japan; 
We had the pleasure of meeting the commanders, 
and many of the officers from each. We were 
also invited to receptions on board both vessels, 
at only one of which, however, I was able to be 
present, on account of illness. Mr. ]^evius and 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 28l 

I saw the noble Niagara as she came into port. 
She was bearing the Japanese Embassadors back 
from their visit in the United States, and as tht 
time allotted for her outward voyage had more 
than expired, we were somewhat anxiously 
watching for her coming. One day, as we were 
climbing, as was our wont, to the watch-tower 
on the hill above us, to catch a breath of the 
fresh sea air, Mr. Nevius remarked, " It is high 
time that the Niagara should be in," and a step 
or two further up, as he glanced seawards, he 
added, " and there she is ! " Very beautiful she 
appeared, moving " like a thing of life " through 
the calm waters of the bay. She did not anchor 
at Yokohama, but after stopping a very few 
moments went on to Yeddo with the embassa- 
dors. We speculated much as to their sensa- 
tions upon finding themselves once more upon 
their native soil, and wondered if they were 
glad to be at home, and whether happy hearts 
were waiting to welcome them. We also felt 
some curiosity as to the reception they might 
meet from the government, and the effect likely 
to be produced by such an influx of new facts 
and ideas as they might naturally be supposed 
to bring with them. But, if any excitement en- 
sued upon their arrival at the capital, or any 



282 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

special interest was felt in their report concern- 
ing the strange lands they had visited, little or 
nothing was known of it by foreigners. I could 
never hear that the members of the embassy 
were held in higher esteem by the natives on ac- 
count of their distinguishing honors and advan- 
tages. Even the redoubtable " Tommy," the 
pet and darling of American ladies, and a rather 
nice young man he was, was regarded in Japan 
only as an ordinary individual, by no means su- 
perior to many who had not been privileged to 
bask in " fair ladies' smiles " or listen to their 
gentle words of affection and interest. 

I suspect American ladies did themselves little 
credit in the eyes of these Eastern gentlemen, by 
their freedom of manner or of words ; and, if a 
"bird of the air" could have repeated the ac- 
counts which the Japanese without doubt carried 
back to their friends and relatives, of the social 
life and customs of Americans, certain individu- 
als I am sure would have been much astonished 
to find what mistaken ideas had been formed of 
them. It would certainly hardly become the 
Japanese to affect disgust at any style of dress 
which they may have witnessed in America, but 
I have understood that the " low necks and short 
sleeves" of our ladies struck them as very ex- 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 283 

traordinary. It is not so strange that the 
Chinese should be surprised at these peculiari- 
ties ; as their own female costume is at once very 
simple, and exceedingly modest ; and it is a fact, 
that foreign ladies' evening dress at first impress- 
es them very unfavorably. 

The Japanese costume is neither so pretty nor 
so graceful as the Chinese. Women in both 
countries dress the hair in an exceedingly elabo- 
rate style, rivalling even the present fashions at 
home. 

Mr. Stuart, the excellent chaplain of the Niag- 
ara, told us many entertaining incidents relating 
to the Japanese Embassadors and suite, especial- 
ly of " Tommy," or To-me (which, if I remem- 
ber rightly, was his Japanese name), in whom 
he was much interested. 

Among the many pleasant recollections of our 
residence in Japan, there is nothing which we 
remember with more satisfaction than a visit 
from some Christian sailors belonging to the Niag- 
ara. As Mr. Nevius was accompanying Mr. 
Stuart to the landing, where he was to take a 
boat to go off to the steamer, they met a party 
of these sailors, who, having leave of absence for 
the night, were seeking some inn to stay at. As 
there was no such place at Kanagawa, Mr. Ne- 






284 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

vius at once invited them to come up to So-ko-jee } 
where we would gladly receive them, and make 
them as comfortable as our limited accommodations 
would permit. Mr. Stuart strongly advised them 
to accept the invitation ; but it was not without a 
good deal of urging that they finally consented 
to do so. I was not a little surprised just at 
dusk to see Mr. Nevius returning in company 
with eight stalwart sailors. Nevertheless, when 
I learned who they were, I was very glad indeed 
to welcome them, and set to work at once to get 
them a supper, and make arrangements for the 
night. We gave them Mr. Nevius 1 study, and 
the guest-room off it ; but as there was only one 
bed, they were quite satisfied to make use of the 
soft native matting on the floor instead, — a very 
good substitute. We had no difficulty in hiring, 
for the night, as many warm cotton " comfort- 
ables " as were needed; and so with very little 
trouble they were all supplied with resting- 
places. 

We Bent out and procured a quantity of the 
excellent oysters or clams which are so abundant 
there, and it was not long before I and my two 
good Japanese servants had ready an evening 
meal which our guests seemed to enjoy heartily. 
I have not mentioned that soon after the sailors 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 285 

came in, and had gone to their rooms, and while 
Mr. Nevius and myself were occupied in another 
part of the house, we heard them singing to- 
gether the dear old hymn, " There is a fountain 
filled with blood." The tune was a peculiar 
one, with plaintive minor strains wandering high 
and low in a most singular measure. It could 
hardly be written, I fancy ; but, as they sang it, 
with their full, manly voices, and hearts over- 
flowing with emotion, it was beautiful, and most 
touching. 

Hearing of our unusual visitors, some of the 
other missionaries came in at evening to enjoy 
the rare pleasure of seeing Christian sailors. 
Our usual evening worship was converted into a 
prayer-meeting ; at least it grew into one quite 
unexpectedly to ourselves. After having read a 
chapter from the Bible, Mr. Nevius requested a 
very respectable elderly man to offer prayer, 
which he did ; and, immediately after, he arose, 
and in a quiet, dignified way, told us of his past 
life, its trials, sins, and follies, and of his conver- 
sion on the passage from the United States in 
the Niagara. This man was called " Uncle Bill," 
and seemed to be much looked up to by the 
others. After " Uncle Bill " had finished speak- 
ing he said, addressing the others, " Come, breth- 






286 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

ren, don't be backward, but tell what the Lord 
has done for jour souls." Then one after an- 
other either made a few remarks, or knelt in 
prayer. Many of the sailors were foreigners, 
and all were ignorant and uneducated, yet we 
were astonished to hear with what ease and 
beauty they spoke of God's dealings with them, 
and their present happiness in his service. One 
poor Swede, called Andrew, knew so little Eng- 
lish that it was with difficulty he related his 
simple but affecting story. He, like all the rest, 
evinced the most unbounded love and respect for 
Mr. Stuart, their chaplain. And well he had 
deserved their affection, having been to them a 
most faithful, loving friend. One hymn which 
was sung at this impromptu service was most 
spirited and soul-stirring. It was the one com- 
mencing, " Come, ye who love the Lord," with a 
chorus, " I'm glad salvation's free." And we 
could not doubt, as we listened to this joyous, 
happy singing, that they experienced then a 
purer pleasure than the world with its danger- 
ous fascinations had ever afforded them. 

The next morning, alter breakfast, a pleasant 
hour was spent at family worship, and, soon after, 
our guests prepared to take their departure. 
Then we noticed grave consultations, as if some- 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 287 

thing of importance was under consideration. 
And presently, after all the others had left the 
house, " Uncle Bill," extending his hand, as if 
for a farewell "shake," poured into Mr. Nevius' 
hand a quantity of silver currency ; I cannot say 
how many Japanese itzebus. It was with much 
difficulty that we succeeded in convincing him 
that we could not possibly accept pay for the 
slight service we had been privileged to render 
them. Before the ship left port, Mr. Stuart was 
the bearer of a very pretty little cabinet, which 
was a present sent us by the sailors, as a token 
of their appreciation of the visit at our house. 

One day, while the Niagara was still at Kana- 
gawa, we attended a reception given on board to 
his Excellency, Mr. Harris. On the minister's 
arrival, a salute of thirteen guns was fired, after 
which the band at once struck up "Hail Colum- 
bia! " and we one and all waxed patriotic. But 
seriously, it was delightful, in that far-away 
country, to listen to our soul-stirring national 
airs, and to see our beautiful "star-spangled 
banner" unfurled to the breeze, and to meet 
our fellow-countrymen, with whom we could talk 
sympathizingly of the dear land far away. 

Captain McKane, of the Niagara, was one of 
those truly good men who never fail to secure 



288 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

the respect and affection, not only of those under 
their command, but of all with whom they come 
in contact. The sailors spoke of him with the 
greatest veneration and reverence ; and I remem- 
ber particularly their mentioning the intimate 
and cordial relations existing between him and 
his chaplain, Mr. Stuart. 

At the recommendation of the American Min- 
ister, the twenty-ninth of November was ob- 
served by the American residents in Japan as a 
' ' Thanksgiving day, ' ' and services were held at 
the United States Consulate in Kanagawa. 
Rev. Mr. Brown preached an excellent sermon, 
which I regretted not hearing, having been de- 
tained at home by illness. Some persons, rather 
censoriously as it seemed to me, criticised Mr. 
Harris' action in this respect severely; but I 
admired it. I only wish this beautiful national 
holiday might be observed wherever American 
citizens are found. 

Towards the close of our visit in Japan, we 
were distressed beyond measure, by hearing of 
the danger threatening our beloved country. As 
the indications of the disruption became more 
and more alarming, our hearts sank within us. 
Perhaps we felt it the more from being obliged 
to meet constantly with persons of other nation- 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 289 

alitieSj who, so far from sympathizing with us 
in our regrets, seemed almost if not quite grati- 
fied at what they were pleased to regard as the 
"downfall of the boasted Republic." It was 
not until we reached Nagisaki, on our passage 
back to China, that we heard of the commence- 
ment of actual hostilities, in " the firing upon 
Fort Sumter." I can never forget the emo- 
tions that intelligence excited, — a strange mix- 
ture of grief, shame, and indignation. Another 
thing which made our position, in common with 
other American missionaries, particularly trying, 
was that Northerners and Southerners had until 
then been so closely and intimately associated 
that mere local distinctions had been almost lost 
sight of. But no sooner did we know the bellig- 
erent position in which our two sections of coun- 
try had placed themselves, than a slight line of 
demarcation began to form even between those 
who had been friends for many long years ; and 
as home matters became more serious this feeling 
increased. Sitting at dinner, one day, in the 
early part of "the war," some expression from 
Mrs. P., a Southern lady present, drew from Mrs. 
N., a Northerner, the remark, " Is it possible, Mrs. 
P., that you love your own one State better than 
you do the Union?" " Indeed I do," was her 

19 



290 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

decided rejoinder. " Well, I assure you," was 
Mrs. N.'s no less decided reply, "if my State 
had been guilty of what South Carolina has, I 
would not own that I was her daughter ! " — cer- 
tainly not a "soft answer " calculated to " turn 
away wrath." But in this case the dear South 
Carolina friend was so sure of Mrs. N.'s love for 
her, and knew so well how often she had, not 
quite " fought, bled, and died," but, at least, had 
" fought " for the South in wordy battles with 
those who assailed it, that she did not take of- 
fence at this plainness of speech. As time 
passed on we all learned to be more circumspect, 
and to pay more scrupulous regard to each other's 
feelings and prejudices. On the whole, consid- 
ering the intensity of feeling on both sides, I 
think we deserve some credit for remembering 
through all, that, though differing so widely in 
certain respects, we were bound together by one 
tie stronger and more precious than all others. 
We used to meet constantly in Sabbath services, 
and social prayer-meetings ; and when, as was 
often the case, some crushing sorrow fell into our 
midst, we forgot all else in our common sympa- 
thies and griefs. And now that those dark days 
are happily over, I trust that the old spirit of 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 291 

love and harmony will be restored, never again 
to be disturbed. 

During the winter of 1860-61, we were 
grieved at hearing from Ningpo of the complete 
failure of the health of Mrs. Danforth, one of 
the newly arrived missionaries, and also of Mrs. 
Rankin's severe illness, which made it probable 
that both she and her husband might be obliged 
to return to the United States. This possibility, 
and several other considerations, decided Mr. 
Nevius that it was his duty to return to Ningpo 
as soon as a good opportunity offered. We had 
but little doubt, as the war at the north of China 
was over, that it would be quite practicable, in 
the course of a few months, to go * to some more 
favorable climate to commence a new station, if 
that plan should still seem desirable. 

It was by no means from want of interest in 
Japan that we did not determine to remain there. 
On the contrary, it seemed to us then, as it does 
now, a most interesting sphere for missionary 
operations. But at the time of our visit, there 
was little or nothing which could be done, except 
in acquiring the language, and preparing books. 
Long years of "patient waiting" were evidently 
in store for those who had given themselves to 
Christ's work in Japan. And while this was the 



292 OUR LIFE IN CHINA, 

case in that country, China was waiting with 
wide-open doors for the introduction of Christian- 
ity, not only in the " five open ports," but 
through the length and breadth of the land. 
Under these circumstances our duty seemed clear ; 
but it was with deep regret that we parted from 
our missionary associates and other valued friends 
in Kanagawa and Yokohama. 

We took passage for Shanghai in an old Eng- 
lish steamer, called the " Cadiz." The principal 
inducement for choosing this vessel rather than 
a sailing ship, such as the one in which we had 
come, was that she would pass through the "in- 
land sea," the beauty of which we had heard de- 
scribed in glowing colors. The " Cadiz" had 
good accommodations, a pleasant captain, and 
agreeable passengers ; but she was old and worn 
out, having been in service many years. Her 
boilers were so frail that every few hours they 
would burst, and no little time was required for 
repairing them. As, with an engine constructed 
as ours was, there was little or no danger from 
this slight accident, and as, in several cases, it 
fortunately occurred at points of the route con- 
veniently near land, it was sometimes rather 
welcome than otherwise, at least to the gentlemen 
on board, as it gave them the opportunity of en- 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 293 

joying a ramble on shore. The only two ladies, 
Mrs. Brown, the captain's wife, and myself, as 
we did not leave the ship, found such frequent 
delays somewhat irksome. 

We came on board the steamer on Friday, the 
first of February, but a break in the boiler de- 
tained us until the morrow. The first day after 
leaving Kanagawa was a wretched sea-sick time. 
The weather was bad, the wind ahead, with 
short "chopping seas/"' and the vessel pitched 
with that peculiar motion which most persons 
find the one above all others to produce sea-sick- 
ness. We anchored the first night in a harbor 
called Aigero. The next morning, early, we 
again got under way ; but the weather continu- 
ing bad, and the sea very rough, we ran in to 
Simoda, and anchored close to the shore. This 
was the' Sabbath, and Mr. Nevius held service in 
the cabin. After tiflin in the afternoon, the gen- 
tlemen went on shore. Mr. Nevius had a quiet 
walk by himself, climbing to the summit of a hill 
which gave him a widely extended view. He 
also visited the temple where his Excellency, Mr. 
Harris, and poor Mr. Hewskin lived for a long 
while before going to Yeddo. Simoda is pleas- 
antly situated, with hills very like those at Ka- 
nagawa rising behind it. On Monday we had 



294 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

clear sailing with a favorable wind and less mo- 
tion, and by Tuesday morning we were near the 
entrance to the inland sea. 

Suonada Sea, which I believe is the native 
name for this land-locked passage, lies between 
the large island of Nipon, and two smaller ones, 
Kiu-siu, and Si-kopf. It is at places very nar- 
row, but at some parts must be from thirty to 
forty miles in width. It has numerous small 
islands, many of which are barren, and I pre- 
sume without inhabitants. 

On Tuesday afternoon we passed between two 
islands with a town and a fort on either side : 
one the pilot called U-ra, and the other Kada- 
no-shima. We anchored that night at Osaca; 
the new port nearest Miako, the capital, and 
residence of the u Spiritual Emperor, " as he was 
in those days called by foreigners. The anchor- 
age was across the bay at Hiogo. I saw it only 
at evening, but Mr. Nevius, who went on deck 
before we weighed anchor the next morning, said 
it was a beautiful spot. 

All Wednesday we were passing a succession 
of most lovely islands, some of which were cul- 
tivated and thickly populated, to judge from tho 
numerous villages which dotted the hill-sides. We 
spent that night in a small bay, called I-no-no- 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 295 

shiina. We had sailed but a short distance the 
next morning when a fog settled over the water, 
so dense that we could not see our way. They 
backed the vessel to a safe anchorage, in doing 
which the boiler burst. While thus detained, 
the captain and the gentlemen passengers took a 
run on shore, in spite of the fog and rain. They 
visited a temple, where they were hospitably en- 
tertained by the head priest, who donned his 
robes and performed a service for them. The in- 
habitants were evidently much alarmed at their 
presence, and, as they entered the village, they 
heard a great commotion, and a universal slam- 
ming to of doors, while the females remained in- 
visible. 

On Saturday, the ninth, we anchored in a very 
narrow passage, called Shi-mo-no-saki. Our coal 
had given out, and it was determined to obtain 
some, if possible, from a large town which stood 
near the water's edge. The only persons on 
board, who understood Japanese, were ourselves, 
and one of the passengers, who was a Jew. The 
latter, whose whole attention while in the coun- 
try had been given to trade and barter, was for- 
tunately much better supplied with that class of 
words than Nr. Nevius, who, however, was better 
qualified to carry on general conversation. The 



296 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

two together were able to transact the necessary 
business, and they accompanied the captain and 
purser on shore. They ascended a flight of 
steps leading from the beach to what was appar- 
ently the principal entrance ; but at their ap- 
proach a gate which obstructed the way was at 
once closed and barred. They conversed through 
the gate with some officials who made their ap- 
pearance. Their request for coal at first met a 
refusal ; but having been reminded of the treaty 
stipulations, and at the captain's request assured 
that, unless they furnished the needed article, 
men from the ship would at once be landed to 
take it by force, they gave a reluctant consent. 
However they still made many difficulties, and 
it was not until some time in the succeeding 
night that the coal was brought. During the 
afternoon the gentlemen all enjoyed another 
visit on shore. 

The next day, the Sabbath, we were out in the 
open sea, or at least so it seemed, for the waves 
were high, and we suffered much from sea-sick- 
ness ; so that it was impracticable to hold ser- 
vice. Just at evening we came to anchor in a 
sheltered nook with small islands on every side. 

Early on Monday forenoon we passed through 
the narrow channel separating Hirado and Kiu- 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 297 

siu. It was a very exciting time, and we were 
for a few moments in great danger. Just in mid- 
channel is a low, bald rock, between which and 
the main land there was barely room for a large 
vessel like ours to pass. At the most critical 
point, in consequence of the fires in the engine 
being low, the ship began to go back instead of 
forwards, and that too in the direction of the 
rock, which was so close to it that it seemed but 
a few vards distant. 

By some skilful manoeuvring of the sails 
the defect was supplied, and a welcome breeze 
carried us past the danger. 

The scenery at this point was perhaps the 
finest of the whole route, though amidst so many 
beautiful and varying scenes it was difficult to 
give the preference to any one. 

On the afternoon of this day we reached 
Nagisaki. Mr. Nevius went at once to see the 
missionaries, Mr. Williams, now American Epis- 
copal Bishop of China, and Dr. Schmidt, and 
Mr. and Mrs. Verbeck, of the American Dutch 
Reformed Church. He was accompanied back 
to the ship by Mr. Williams and Dr. Schmidt. 
The two or three days that we remained in port 
we spent very agreeably on shore with the mis- 
sionaries, returning to the steamer at night. Mr, 



298 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

Nevius was away during the days, making the 
most of his opportunity for seeing Nagisaki and 
its surroundings. 

Dr. Schmidt and Mr. Williams were living, in 
a bachelor way, high up one of the steep hills 
back of the town. Mr. and Mrs. Verbeck oc- 
cupied a house somewhat lower down the hill. 
In company with these friends we visited a large 
temple near their dwelling, and also Desima, 
which, though pleasantly situated on the side of 
the bay, is only a small square, not larger than 
many a village common. It is closely built, and, 
notwithstanding its limited size, has been for many 
years a place of no small importance, as the 
only foothold of foreigners in Japan. 

The scenery around Nagisaki is not so tame 
as that near Yeddo, the hills being much higher 
on every side ; but I think on this account as well 
as from its somewhat lower latitude, it may be 
much warmer in summer, and not so desirable 
as a place of residence. 

After a pleasant visit at Nagisaki, where 
several new passengers came on board, we again 
weighed anchor and sailed for Shanghai, the dis- 
tance between these two places being, I believe, 
about four hundred miles. We had delightful 
weather and a smooth sea nearly all the way over. 



VISIT TO JAPAN. 299 

The passengers by this time had become very 
sociable, and quite like old friends. These ship 
friendships are easily made, and, in most instances, 
almost as quickly forgotten. 

We reached Shanghai on Sunday the seven- 
teenth, more than two weeks from the time we 
left Kanagawa. 



300 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



CHAPTER XI. 

INCIDENTS IN MISSIONARY LIFE. — LEAVING 
NINGPO. 

Soon after our return from Japan, Mr. and 
Mrs. Rankin, and their sister, Mrs. McCartee, 
arrived in Shanghai from Ningpo. The health 
of Mrs. Rankin was such that her immediate 
return to the United States was considered im- 
perative. Mr. Rankin remained in China. 

As I was desirous of spending a short time 
with Mrs. Rankin before her embarkation, my 
husband proceeded to Ningpo, leaving me to 
come down the coast some days later, in company 
with Mrs. McCartee. 

After a pleasant visit at Shanghai, Mrs. McCar- 
tee and I went to Ningpo in a steamer belonging 
to the firm of Olyphant & Co. Leaving Woosung 
Thursday at noon, we reached home Friday 
afternoon. As we were at anchor during the 
night, we in reality made the passage in only 
about eighteen hours. 



INCIDENTS IN MISSIONARY LIFE. 301 

On reaching Ningpo, we went again to our 
comfortable quarters at Mr. Rankin's. After his 
return, a few weeks later, we kept house together 
in a very informal but pleasant way. He then, 
as always, did everything in his power to con- 
tribute to our comfort ; and we had the satis- 
faction of thinking that we helped a little to 
cheer him in his loneliness. 

We were grieved to find Mrs. Danforth, one 
of the newly arrived missionaries, very ill. Of 
a naturally delicate constitution, the climate 
seemed at once to fasten disease upon her. In 
the hope that the bracing air of Shantung, of 
which we heard glowing accounts, might prove 
beneficial, Mr. and Mrs. Danforth left Ningpo, 
shortly after our arrival, for the North. They 
went in company with the Gayleys, of Shanghai. 

The missionaries at Ningpo at this time de- 
voted much attention to itinerations in the in- 
terior. The country was not only nominally, 
but really, open to missionary efforts. Had it 
not been for the disturbances occasioned by the 
" long-haired rebels," we would have gone back to 
Hang-chow. As it was, we could only look back 
lovingly and sorrowfully to our old home there, 
and turn our eyes elsewhere when considering 
the question of a new mission station. We 






302 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

would gladly have settled permanently at Ningpo, 
but my health declined so rapidly during the 
few months we were necessarily detained there, 
that it was not considered safe for us to remain 
even through one summer. 

The climate of Ningpo affects different in- 
dividuals very differently. While there are a 
few who seem to enjoy as good health there as 
elsewhere, most persons suffer seriously. Fever 
and ague are so common, that they are scarcely 
noticed ; while liver complaints of various forms 
and aggravated characters are frequent, and often 
fatal. There are also many cases of consumption 
among the natives, and foreigners have been 
very subject to throat and chest affections ; others 
again suffer from mere debility. Without serious 
illness, and before we are aware, .we find our- 
selves strangely weak, and as nervous as weak. 
Trifles " light as air " seem now momentous. A 
simple occurrence, a word, or an action, which 
once would have been passed unnoticed, or only 
received with a smile, now appears a truly 
serious matter to fret and grieve over ; unless, in- 
deed, one has a marvellous deal of amiability or 
fortitude. One effect of the climate seems to 
be to make good people unnecessarily conscien- 
tious : or, rather, while it may seem to the in- 






INCIDENTS IN MISSIONARY LIFE. 303 

dividual that he is actuated by conscience alone, 
a looker-on cannot help thinking to himself or 
herself, " Oh, how much human nature, or self- 
will, can secrete itself unknown in a good man's 
bosom ! " And then, when strength has de- 
parted, so that every dictate of reason or 
prudence says, " Rest and recruit" just then 
we feel a morbid impulse to keep at work, even at 
the risk of making martyrs of ourselves. Had I 
not to plead guilty myself to having experienced 
nearly all these distressing symptoms, I should 
hardly have felt at liberty to allude to them. I 
wish, indeed, they were peculiar to myself; but 
most certainly they are not. All alike, mis- 
sionaries, merchants, and civilians, gentlemen 
and ladies, adults and children, with very few 
exceptions, feel the injurious effects of the 
scorching sun and malarious atmosphere of those 
southern latitudes. It is, however, remarkable 
that Ningpo and Shanghai are far more un- 
healthy than the more southern ports, Fuchow, 
Amoy, and Canton. This must be owing to 
local causes. Oliphant, in " Lord Elgin's Mission 
to China and Japan," thus gives his impressions 
of the climate of Shanghai, which is generally 
considered somewhat preferable to that of Ningpo : 
" During this period of our stay (the latter part 






304 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

of July) at Shanghai, the climate was more op- 
pressive than I ever remember to have felt it in 
any part of the world. The thermometer did not 
show a higher temperature than at Tien-tsin, but 
there was a stifling heaviness in the atmosphere 
which acted in a most distressing manner both 
on health and spirits. Cases of sun-stroke were 
of daily occurrence, chiefly among the sailors in 
the shipping which crowded the river. Upward 
of a hundred merchantmen, waiting hopelessly 
for cargoes, were lying at anchor under the 
broiling sun, their lists of sick daily increasing 
under the deleterious influence of the climate." 
A few months later he adds, ' ' We had now been 
nearly eighteen months knocking about on the 
coast of China, and the results were beginning 
to manifest themselves. Mr. L. went home on 
sick certificate ; of those that remained, all of 
us suffered more or less from the effects of the 
climate ; and the hot days, chilly evenings, and 
malarious exhalations of Shanghai were not 
calculated to remove a tendency to ague, where 
such existed. Our own experience enabled us 
without any difficulty to credit the fact, which is 
established by official returns, that the China 
station is the most unhealthy to which our ships 



INCIDENTS IN MISSIONARY LIFE. 305 

are sent ; the sickness and mortality being greater 
here than even on the west coast of Africa." 

Sir R. Alcock, alluding to difficulties which 
he had experienced in his efforts to secure fair 
dealings from foreign merchants in their com- 
mercial relations with the Chinese, says, that 
years ago, he "had a conversation with one of 
them, honest and outspoken enough to tell the 
whole truth." The merchant replied to his ex- 
postulations, " No doubt your anticipations of 
future evil have a certain foundation . 
but in what way am I and my brother land- 
holders and speculators concerned in this ? . 

. It is my business to make a fortune with 
the least possible loss of time. ... In 
two or three years at farthest I hope to realize a 
fortune and get away. . . . You must 
not expect men in my situation to condemn them- 
selves to years of prolonged exile in an unhealthy 
climate for the benefit of posterity. We are 
money-making, practical men ; our business is to 
make money, as much and as fast as we can 
. . . ." Sir R. adds, " Successive mer- 
chants, clerks, and store-keepers, generations of 
them, so to speak, come and disappear ; stay 
their time of five or ten years, and carry off a 
fortune. . . . The merchant feels that 
20 






306 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

he must be quick in a climate as trying as that 
of China. He has to snatch a fortune from the 
jaws of death ; and, unless he make haste, it is 
more than probable that he will only dig his own 
grave, and be snatched away himself." 

When to these unfavorable influences of the 
climate are added the almost equal danger from 
overwork, and the want of sufficient recreation 
and relaxation, it will, I think, no longer seem 
strange to any one that frequent changes in the 
mission circles are necessary ; or that deaths have 
been sadly frequent. On the contrary, it is re- 
markable that so many have been able to remain 
for eight, ten, or more years, without even one 
return to their native land. 

It was one of my greatest comforts while in 
China, that though my husband's health was by 
no means perfectly good, he was seldom obliged, 
even for a day, to abstain from work. During 
our sojourn at Ningpo, at the time of which I 
am now writing, besides his chapel preaching, 
and frequent itinerations, he kept three native 
teachers busy assisting him in the writing or 
revision of his books. I mention my husband's 
employments, as I am naturally more familiar 
with his work than that of others. But the 
various members of the mission were all actively 



INCIDENTS IN MISSIONARY LIFE. 307 

employed ; and every day brought to light evi- 
dences that their labors were not in vain. 

The San-poh stations were then very prosper- 
ous. On one of Mr. Nevius'" visits to the city 
of Yu-yiao he administered baptism to several 
converts ; among others to a young man named 
Zi Da-ching, whose case was a very unusual 
one. There was a native Christian connected 
with the Yu-yiao church, by the name of Dzing. 
He was a carpenter, and, in the prosecution of 
his trade, had been employed to do some work 
within the city prison. Here, as elsewhere, he 
used often to talk of the dear Saviour, and the 
plan of salvation as revealed in the Bible. Among 
his listeners was the person alluded to above, 
who, strange to say, was not imprisoned for any 
crime of his own ; but was freely, or rather for 
a compensation, suffering this penalty for an- 
other. A rich man who had been guilty of 
murder, or some other crime, had hired him to 
go to prison in his stead. This procedure is not 
a very unusual one in China. On a certain oc- 
casion there was an insurrection in the city ; and, 
in the confusion and alarm consequent upon it, 
the prison was left unguarded, and all the in- 
mates, with the exception of Zi Da-ching, 
escaped. In reward for his faithfulness in re- 






308 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

maining, notwithstanding the tempting oppor- 
tunity for gaining his freedom, he was promoted 
to a position of some responsibility, and made a 
kind of overseer of the other prisoners. Still, 
in common with the rest, he was kept in close 
confinement. While in this position, he heard 
from carpenter Dzing, of Christianity, and joy- 
fully embraced it. Desirous to obey all its 
commands, he very -soon requested baptism. A 
notice of his admission to the church, I find in 
a letter from Mr. Rankin. It is as follows : " At 
Yu-yiao, on Monday last, he (Mr. Nevius) 
baptized in the jail, the head man of whom I 
have frequently written. It was a very solemn 
and interesting occasion ; and I hope that God 
will bring great good out of it. Already ten 
of the twenty-two prisoners express religious 
interest, and pray, and keep the Sabbath. It 
was exceedingly interesting to notice their sav- 
age-looking faces (for some of them have been 
guilty of manslaughter), listening on that oc- 
casion, as well as on the day before, when I was 
there, with intense eagerness to the word spoken. 
A general reformation has also taken place in 
the prison, the men having applied themselves 
to making straw shoes through the head man's 
instrumentality, — thereby making some money 



INCIDENTS IN MISSIONARY LIFE. 309 

for themselves. The officer in charge is de- 
lighted with the change from their former habits 
of gambling, and cursing, and idleness; and the 
news will be spread outside also, and do good." 

With the after history of Zi Da-ching, I am 
not very familiar. When the long-haired rebels 
captured Yu-yiao a few years latter, these pris- 
oners were all liberated ; and he, being a person 
of good presence and abilities, was made an 
officer in the army of the insurgents. When 
they were finally conquered, he had nearly lost 
his life from the Imperialists, and was only saved 
through the intervention of the missionaries. 
He is now, I believe, a quiet and respected citi- 
zen in one of the villages of San-poh. 

Another baptismal service, which took place 
at about this time,- and at which it was my 
privilege to be present, though of a different 
character, was scarcely less interesting. I need 
not apologize for introducing a letter of my 
husband, in which he describes it as follows, — 

" I wish you could have been present with us 
to-day, to witness an incident which was a 
pleasant one to us; and one which I am sure 
you would have been much interested in. This 
morning, Mr. Green, Mrs. Nevius, and myself, 
left Ningpo to visit the station at Bao-ko-tah, 



310 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

about six miles distant. The native elders, Lu 
and Zia, accompanied us, it being our principal 
object to examine an old blind woman, with 
reference to her admission to the church. We 
reached the place before noon ; and, there being 
a lady in the party, an unusually large crowd 
soon gathered to see us, composed principally 
of women and children ; the men being very busy, 
some in ploughing the fields, and some in mak- 
ing preparations to go out to sea, to engage in the 
fisheries. After exchanging salutations with the 
church-members, and speaking a few words to the 
people, we were introduced to the old woman, who 
was desirous of being baptized. It was not a little 
difficult to find a quiet place where we might 
hold a session meeting. We persuaded the peo- 
ple, however, to retire for a while, and chose for 
our place of meeting the sleeping-room of the 
Christian school-teacher, which, by the way, is 
a model of neatness and cleanliness. Mr. Green 
and Mrs. Nevius were also present at the session 
meeting. 

"The first appearance of this applicant for 
church-membership excited our deepest interest 
and sympathy. She is seventy years old, per- 
fectly blind, and very deaf. After asking God's 
blessing and direction, I commenced questioning 



INCIDENTS IN MISSIONARY LIFE. 311 

her ; which I did by drawing my chair close to 
hers, and speaking very loudly. I asked her 
whether she was in the habit of secret prayer, 
and what she prayed for. She replied that she 
was old, and had a very poor memory, and 
could not express well in words what she clearly 
understood and felt in her heart. She then 
went on to enumerate the objects of her prayers, 
including the enlightening influences of the 
Spirit ; the forgiveness of her sins ; assistance 
to live a godly life ; and, more particularly, a 
participation in the blessings and enjoyments of 
heaven. She spoke of her delight in prayer ; 
of the amazing love of God for such a poor, 
worthless creature as she; and seemed to have a 
sense of the nearness of God through Christ, 
and to be filled with gratitude. As she spoke, the 
tears rolled down her cheeks from her sightless 
eyes, and, could she have seen, she, too, would 
have witnessed tears in the eyes of others. 

" She spoke at length of the sin of having dis- 
regarded God for so many years, and worshipped 
idols, but said, as if she felt that it was some 
extenuation of her guilt, ' It was because I did 
not know of God and his love.' She also spoke 
of the many sins of the heart and the tongue. 
I asked her whether she felt that she had got rid 



312 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

of her propensity to sin, and whether she was 
ever conscious of a feeling of resentment when 
others treated her with unkindness and neglect. 
She answered, with earnestness, * I will tell you 
the truth ; I will keep back nothing. My 
daughter-in-law sometimes abuses and curses me, 
and I say to her, " How dare you speak so to 
me, when I am your superior, and you are my 
daughter-in-law ? I sometimes reprove her harsh- 
ly; but I do not now curse her in return." ' 

11 1 asked her if she had ever procured and laid 
up paper money for use in a future state (an 
idolatrous practice common among women). She 
said, 'I will deny nothing; I did procure a 
great deal of this money; but I have destroyed 
it. I have the greatest aversion to it. I have 
given up everything, and my trust is in Christ, 
and Christ alone.' 

" I questioned her on the Trinity, and she gave 
evidence of more clear and just views on this 
subject, than I would have thought it possible for 
one in her circumstances to acquire. I asked 
her if she had no fears that her feelings might 
change, and she revert to the old idolatrous 
practices of her people. She answered, promptly 
and earnestly, ' Never. I am old ; my mind is 
fixed on heaven, and earth has no attractions for 



INCIDENTS IN MISSIONARY LIFE. 313 

me.' ' But,' said I, ' do you think you can 
depend upon yourself ? ' She said, ' No, but I 
will never cease to pray, and Christ will never 
forsake me.' Such were all her answers, clear, 
prompt, and full of earnestness and fervor. The 
native elders asked her a few questions, after which 
there was a slight pause. She improved the oppor- 
tunity to address us much as follows : ' I trust you 
will allow me to be baptized. I am now seventy 
years old, and I cannot stay here much longer. 
I want to be numbered among God's people. Oh, 
receive me, for my heart is fixed on God and 
heaven.' This appeal, with the manner in 
which it was uttered, was most touching, and 
went to our hearts. We all felt like saying, 
1 Who shall forbid water, that she should not be 
baptized ? ' The notice was soon circulated 
through the village that Siao Ah-m was about to 
receive baptism. After dinner, a large company 
assembled to witness the first baptismal service 
in Bato-ko-tah ; the other church-members having 
been baptized in Ningpo. The audience was 
most attentive and solemn. Siao Ah-m respond- 
ed in a loud and decided voice to the questions 
proposed, and all were deeply interested and im- 
pressed. The occasion was improved to exhort 
those present to flee from the wrath to come, and 



314 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

lay hold of eternal life. After a few parting 
words, we left the village for our boat, thanking 
God for what he had permitted us to see and 
hear. : ' 

In a later letter written from Ningpo by Mr. 
Rankin, there is this further mention of poor 
Siao Ah-m : " The old blind woman lately baptized 
there (that is, at Bao-ko-tah) is very poorly, and 
seems eager as well as ready for death. Besides 
her affliction, she is badly treated by her daugh- 
ter-in-law, who lives with her." 

Long ere this those sightless eyes have opened 
to witness the beauties and the glories of the 
many mansions prepared for her, and those who, 
like her, having been forgiven much, have loved 
much. 

During the month of April, the American 
Charge d'affaires, Commodore Stribling, sent 
to Ningpo a request to Dr. McCartee to accom- 
pany him, as interpreter to the United States 
Legation, on a trip up the River Yiang-ts. He 
did so, and was absent from home, I think, two 
months, visiting many important cities and towns, 
and gaining much valuable information. He was 
sadly impressed by all he saw of the insurgents ; 
and, had he previously entertained any hopes of 
good to the country in consequence of their usur- 



INCIDENTS IN MISSIONARY LIFE. 315 

pation, these hopes must have been dissipated by 
the scenes of distress and anarchy which inva- 
riably followed or accompanied them. He says, 
in a published account of this tour, describing the 
once prosperous city of Nankin, which is beau- 
tifully situated upon the south bank of the noble 
Yiang-ts : 1 1 Nankin, once a palatial city, a res- 
idence of mighty kings, but now looking like 
a desolation of many generations, w r as the next 
city we visited. If I should attempt to compare 
the situation of the people at these two places 
(that is, at Che-kiang, which was still in a state 
of siege, and Nankin, which had been long in the 
hands of the rebels), I should say that those at 
Che-kiang were like persons in all the agonies 
of shipwreck ; while those at Nankin were like 
men left floating in silent despair upon the sur- 
face of the ocean, after the vessel has gone 
down, when even the excitement of despair is 
past. Just opposite to Nankin, across the 
Yiang-ts, was once a large and populous city, 
called Kiang-yio. We saw the city walls still 
standing: but perfect solitude reigns within. 
The inhabitants submitted to the insurgents after 
they took Nankin. They were compelled to 
deliver up their crops, and were put upon ra- 
tions. These were served out scantily, and in 



316 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

insufficient quantities to support life. They 
murmured, and threatened to apply to the Im- 
perialists. The insurgents heard of it ; and one 
day the sun went down upon the corpses of seven- 
teen thousand people, who, the day before, were 
in the midst of life. Some fifteen thousand 
escaped to the Imperialist camp ; but the city has 
lain desolate ever since. " 

It was a great disappointment to us mission- 
aries when we were at length obliged to open our 
eyes to the fact that Christianity had much more 
to dread than to hope for from the insurgents, 
should they be successful in their attempts to 
gain the empire. Their obscure and insignificant 
origin, their rapid growth and progress, and, 
finally, their no less rapid disintegration and 
destruction, form a remarkable chapter in this 
world's history. What at first gave them power 
and attraction was, no doubt, an element of truth 
derived from Christian missionaries. Their 
founder, Hung-sew-tswen, had a slight acquaint- 
ance with Mr. Roberts, an American missionary 
at Canton, and either from him or his native as- 
sistant he received a few Christian books, which 
he carried back with him to his home in the 
country. He appears to have hastily perused 
them, and then laid them away. Long after, 



INCIDENTS IN MISSIONARY LIFE. 317 

when recovering from a severe illness, some of 
the truths contained in these books recurred to 
his mind, and gave shape to his mental wander- 
ings; and these vagaries in turn moulded all his 
future life. Having gained some conception of 
the one true God, and of the evils of the preva- 
lent idolatry, he conceived the project of estab- 
lishing the new religion and eradicating the old. 
And when in the course of a few months he had 
secured a few adherents, and also incurred per- 
secution in consequence of his opposition to idol- 
atry, he was persuaded that he and his followers 
were the " Israel of God," whose mission it was 
to "slay the Amalekites," sparing none, old nor 
young, male nor female. Perhaps at first there 
was much sincerity mingled with the religious 
fanaticism of this strange movement. But, if so, 
of late years it must have sadly deteriorated. 
Although iconoclasts, and having done a great 
deal to overthrow the prevailing religions of 
China, they have had nothing much better to 
offer instead. Hung-sew-tswen, soon began to 
arrogate to himself divine honors, claiming direct 
inspiration from God, and considering himself 
the equal, or nearly so, of the Lord Jesus 
Christ. 

Although we can but sympathize with the 






318 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

longings after a purer faith, which have been 
evinced in the adherence of such vast numbers 
to the corrupt form of Christianity found among 
the insurgents, I think we can scarcely regret 
that they have met with a signal overthrow. 
Although frequent attempts were made by the 
missionaries to dwell among them, efforts for 
their improvement were found to be less hopeful 
than those among their more idolatrous country- 
men. 

I kept no journal, during the few months we 
spent in Ningpo, after our return from Japan ; 
but a pocket diary contains some jottings of that 
period which I shall insert, stopping occasionally 
to explain certain allusions which could not 
otherwise be understood. 

" Sunday, May 5th. — Mr. Green preached in 
English. Mr. Rankin conducted the communion 
service. I was so weak as to be scarcely able to 
sit up, and consequently could not enjoy the 
exercises. Mr. Nevius preached on board the 
Bethel, and spent the morning at the boys' 
school, where he had service. While he was 
away, Mr. Rankin read aloud to me one of Dr. 
J. Alexander's excellent sacramental discourses. 

"Monday, 6th. — Poorly again to day, have 
scarcely any appetite, and am very weak, lying 



INCIDENTS IN MISSIONARY LIFE. 319 

down almost all day. Went up to Mr. Green's 
at dusk. Buffaloes scared me in going up. 
Dr. Fish called to see me at evening." 

The " buffaloes " mentioned above were great, 
fierce, ungainly creatures, which have frightened 
more than one timid lady, and gentleman too, I sus- 
pect, if they would but own it. The milk which 
we used at Ningpo was all from these water- 
buffaloes. The Chinese there, and in other 
places where we have lived or visited, use no 
milk or butter. Indeed, they have a great aver- 
sion to both, as well as to cheese ; which they 
regard with quite as much disgust as we do many 
of their articles of food. At Ningpo, we buy a 
small quantity of milk daily from some China- 
man who keeps buffaloes for the purpose of sup- 
plying foreigners with this article, and our butter 
is made by shaking the milk thoroughly in a 
wide-mouthed bottle. It is both expensive and 
requires a good deal of labor when made in this 
way, and we use but little of it. But, though 
very tasteless and perfectly white, it is a great 
deal better than none at all. The buffaloes have 
a natural antipathy to foreigners; and some of 
the most ill-natured among them, as soon as they 
catch a glimpse of a " red-haired " man or 
woman, make after him or her, in a most fero- 



320 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

cious manner, and would surely inflict injury 
were they not restrained. 

" Friday, May 10th. — Mrs. Knowlton and I 
spent the day with Mrs. Jones (of the English 
Baptists). Mr. Nevius commenced packing boxes 
for going away. Weather rainy and warm. 
Zong-we has returned from San-poh, where it 
seems he had formed apian for marrying a woman, 
who is 'put away, ; — not even divorced. He 
is very angry with Mr. Nevius because he does 
not approve it, and says he will not go with us 
to the North." 

This man, Zong-we, was a singular character. 
A year or two before, we had taken him into our 
family, and tried most faithfully to make him a 
good washerman. In this, however, we failed, 
as he nearly ruined our clothes, besides trying 
us sorely by his slowness. He was a very snail 
in his motions ; and, though really young, went 
about the compound with a solemn countenance, 
and a slow, stooping gait, like an old man of 
eighty. Still, though not agreeable, we felt 
some real affection and respect for him, because 
he was evidently an earnest and sincere Chris- 
tian. He learned to read the Romanized Ningpo 
Colloquial; and long after we had retired for 
the night we could invariably hear him in his 



INCIDENTS IN MISSIONARY LIFE. 321 

room, which was near ours, studying his Bible, 
or engaged in prayer. And he evidently became, 
if not as "diligent in business" as we could 
have wished, at least very " fervent in spirit." 
We were not sure but that he really tried to do 
his work well, and so, though it was very annoy- 
ing, we bore with him a long while, hoping for 
improvement. We thought if he succeeded in 
becoming a good washerman, he could always be 
sure of employment among foreigners ; which 
would be a good thing for one in his situation. 

Poor Zong-we ; s family relations had been most 
unfortunate ; and not long after he came to live 
with us, at the advice and wish of his friends, he 
procured a divorce from his miserable wife. We 
supposed that after such an experience he would 
be content to remain alone, and were not a little 
surprised to find, just as we were about leaving 
for a new station where we should greatly need 
his services, that he intended to contract such a 
marriage as the one I mentioned in my diary. I 
think he did not really understand that the con- 
templated step was a wrong one. I cannot re- 
member just how the affair was settled ; but 
Zong-we did not go with us to Shantung, of 
which I was afterwards very glad, though at the 
time much inconvenienced thereby. He has 

21 



322 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

since married, I do not know whom ; and the last 
time I saw him, his cup of bliss seemed full. He 
was carrying a fine large baby in his arms, and I 
presume his highest earthly ambitions are now 
quite satisfied. 

"Saturday, May 11th. — Avery busy day. 
Had carpets taken up, books packed, etc. Towards 
evening, Mrs. Green and Mrs. Morrison went 
with me a short distance up the river to call upon 
my former ah-m, Yiang-ko siao-yi (that is small 
or younger aunt of the Yiang family). She was 
not at home, having gone to some relatives of 
hers in the country. I felt very sorry not to see 
her ; am also much annoyed by Zong-we." 

Yiang-ko siao-yi, whom we went to see, had 
been with me for some time as a servant. She 
accompanied us to Hang-chow, where she proved 
an invaluable friend and companion. She was a 
faithful and consistent Christian. Very few 
Ningpo women will do the washing in a foreign 
family, but this ah-m did ours beautifully, and 
was also a good seamstress, and she thus saved 
me much time and labor. While we were in 
Japan I was distressed to hear that she had be- 
come insane. Although I could not expect to do 
much for her, I was anxious to see her once more, 
and so went, as I have said, to the place where I 



INCIDENTS IN MISSIONARY LIFE. 323 

supposed she was staying. I did not feel sure 
that her friends were telling me the truth, in say- 
ing that she was absent from home, but I could 
not tell why they should wish to prevent an in- 
terview. 

"Sunday, 12th. — Mr. Lord preached in Eng- 
lish from 'We have here no continuing city,' — 
a very good sermon. I went with Mr. Nevius to 
Chinese service in the city church. He preached 
from Rev. vii. 9-17. I feel very sadly to-day, 
thinking of this being our last Sunday in Ningpo. 
It seems a trial, almost more than I can bear, 
that I should be the means of taking Mr. Nevius 
away. 

" Tuesday, 14th. — In the morning the church 
had a farewell meeting. Mr. Nevius spoke, and 
also many of ihe native converts. In the afternoon 
there was called a church meeting, at which Mr. 
Nevius resigned the pastorate. A request was 
sent to Presbytery to have the San-poh members 
formed into a separate church. We said good- 
by to many of our native friends, especially the 
women. Attended Presbytery in the evening. 

"Wednesday, 15th. — Poorly all day, could 
not go to prayer-meeting. Mr. Green called to say 
good-by, as he is going to the San-poh stations. 
Mr. Nevius sent for Dr. Fish to see me. (Dr. 



324 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

Fish was our medical attendant at that time.) 
Am able to eat scarcely anything nowadays, and 
have constant nausea. 

"Friday, 17th. — Just the same ; lying on the 
couch all day; am very weak and growing 
weaker. This makes me think that perhaps we 
really ought to go away from Ningpo. Our 
passage is taken for Shanghai in the ' Vivid,' 
— a small sailing vessel, which will leave to- 
morrow evening." 

Up to this time I had persisted in thinking 
that there was no urgent necessity for going 
elsewhere, and this notwithstanding the advice 
of our good physician and other kind friends. 
But when I found my strength all leaving me, 
even before the weather had become very warm, 
I began to realize that unless we left soon I should 
probably not go at all; and so was somewhat 
more willing to yield my will to that of others. 

The next entry, that of May eighteenth, is in 
the handwriting of my dear friend Mr. Rankin. 
It brings back a flood of old memories. He says, 
as if it had been written by me : " Found my- 
self very weak this morning. There have called 

Mrs. K , Mrs. G , Mrs. McC , and 

Messrs. Russell and Burdon. Mrs. Morrison 
dined with us. Mr. R. as usual about the house, 



INCIDENTS IN MISSIONARY LIFE. 325 

greatly anxious to see his wife and children. Left 
his poor, forlorn house at five P. M. for the 
1 Vivid, ' he following. Why don't he go home ? 
Good-by." 

A great many of the native Christians had 
assembled to see us off. They came with us as 
far as the bank of the river, and Mr. Rankin 
accompanied us on board. A few moments after 
he had playfully penned the above entry in my 
diary, the "Vivid" got under way, and he 
left us. We never saw him again until he came 
to our house in Tung-chow, a poor, suffering in- 
valid, almost at his journey's end. 

We reached Shanghai Monday evening, May 
twentieth, and, as we had so often done before, 
went directly to our kind friends, the Culbertsons, 
whose house was near the landing. The next 
day Mrs. Mills and Mrs. Farnham came over 
from South Gate to invite us to be their guests 
while we should remain in Shanghai. We ac- 
cepted the invitation of the latter, and spent the 
time of our stay under their hospitable roof. 

We found great difficulty in securing a passage 
for Che-foo, as but few vessels were sailing for 
that port, and of those few scarcely any were 
willing to take passengers. 

At length, after a delay of more than two 



326 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

weeks, we sailed for Shantung in a Bremen bark 
called the " Amalia." Our passage was rather 
a slow one, having unfavorable winds, and the 
last few days very dense fogs, so that we were 
often entirely uncertain as to our exact position, 
and obliged to sail cautiously. All through the 
night previous to reaching Che-foo there were 
men on the lookout, and a horn was incessantly 
blown to prevent collision with other vessels. 
When morning dawned we were within sight of 
the shore ; and, having a strong and favorable 
wind, by three P. M. we had come to anchor in 
the harbor of Che-foo. 



FIRST SUMMER AT TUNG-CHOW. 327 



CHAPTER XH. 

FIRST SUMMER AT TUNG-CHOW. 

On the breaking out of the late war in the 
United States, the missionaries connected with 
Southern societies found themselves in a most 
perplexing and trying position. Although in 
many cases enthusiastically interested in their 
work, and very successful, they were, in conse- 
quence of being cut off from supplies from 
America, reduced to the alternative of return- 
ing home, or engaging in secular business. One 
or two became interpreters, and others entered 
into mercantile operations of one kind or an- 
other; giving, at the same time, as much 
attention as possible to direct missionary work. 
The qualities which had made them efficient in 
their previous employments, also gave them suc- 
cess in secular pursuits. In every case with 
which I am familiar, a few years in business suf- 
ficed not only to secure a present competence, but 
also an income which would render them inde- 



328 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

pendent, pecuniarily, in the future. When the 
necessity was. removed, they gladly returned to 
their life-work among the heathen. 

One of those who thus engaged in mercantile 
business was the Rev. J. Landrum Holmes. 

He was a person whose peculiar loveliness of 
character made him a favorite with every one. 
Handsome, talented, ardent, with very winning 
manners, he was peculiarly fitted for usefulness 
among the Chinese, to whom such qualities are 
very attractive. 

The "Amalia," in which we sailed from 
Shanghai to Che-foo, had been chartered by Mr. 
Holmes, who, with a younger brother, not a 
clergyman, had already established a prosperous 
firm in that newly opened port in the Province 
of Shantung. 

Our fellow-passengers from Shanghai were 
Mrs. Yates, of the Southern Baptist Board, and 
her daughter, Miss Annie, who had come to pass 
the summer at the North. Soon after the ship 
cast anchor Mr. Holmes came on board to ac- 
company Mrs. Yates to his house. Mr. Nevius 
had already gone on shore to make arrange- 
ments for taking me off, expecting me to remain 
on the ship until his return; but when Mr. 
Holmes rather urged my going in company with 



FIRST SUMMER AT TUNG-CHOW. 329 

his party in his boat, I consented to do so. I 
ought to have waited for Mr. Nevius, for there 
was no means of conveyance from the landing 
to Mr. Holmes' house, a distance of a mile or 
more, and to my seeming at least ten. The road 
was one bed of heavy sand, into which our feet 
sank deeply at every step. The day was warm, 
and, in my weak state, I was entirely unequal to 
such an exertion. But I quite deserved my pun- 
ishment, and I tried hard to conceal the discom- 
fort my foolishness occasioned me. It is need- 
less to say that I did not escape some words of 
reproof for this exhibition of insubordination. 

Che-foo, or Yentai, as the village is usually 
called by the natives, was, before it was opened 
to foreign commerce, only a small fishing town. 
Tung-chow, about sixty miles distant, is the 
port originally ceded to foreigners, but the har- 
bor there not proving good, Che-foo was chosen 
instead. 

Although Shantung, and the more northern 
port, Tien-tsin, had been but a few months 
opened, several missionaries of different societies 
were already on the ground. Mr. Hartwell, of 
the Southern Baptists, and Messrs. Gayley and 
Danforth, of our own mission, had gone on to 
Tung-chow; and Mr. and Mrs. Holmes, with 






330 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

M. and Madame Bonheur, and M. Roa, of the 
French Protestant Mission, and Mr. and Mrs. 
Hall, English Baptists, were settled at Che-foo. 
I cannot say that our Che-foo friends had 
Becured very comfortable residences. On the 
contrary, they could scarcely have been more 
inconvenient, and I fear unhealthy, — at least 
they must have proved so in any other than a 
good climate. Mr. Holmes' house, which was 
rather better than the others, was a very low, 
one-storied Chinese building, the different rooms 
opening off a small enclosure or court. It was 
situated in the village, only a few moments' 
walk, however, from the country. I think the 
house had been supplied with board floors and 
glass windows, to make it fit for a foreigner to 
live in ; but, if so. the floors were only a little 
raised above the ground, and there being no 
Venetians nor verandas, the hot summer sun 
beat down upon it most unmercifully. Not a 
tree nor shrub relieved the eye, or sheltered 
from the heat. The kitchen was in a small cor- 
ner near the entrance. Mrs. Holmes' parlor 
and sleeping-room were on one side of the court ; 
on another, was a guest-chamber ; on another, a 
small apartment used by the natives or foreign- 
ers, as necessity required; and, on the fourth, 



FIRST SUMMER AT TUNG-CHOW. 331 

was a store-room of some sort, and a chapel, or 
Chinese reception-room. 

The air, owing, in part, to the miserable way 
of building without outside windows, was impure 
and stifling, not at all calculated to conduce to 
the health and vigor of those obliged to breathe 
it. 

When our fellow-passengers from the ship and 
ourselves were added to Mr. Holmes' family, 
which consisted of Mrs. Holmes and a little 
daughter, about two years old, and two Chinese 
boys whom they were educating, besides ser- 
vants, it seemed as if their house was already 
more than full. But before night there was 
another arrival. Mr. and Mrs. Danforth and 
Mr. Hartwell came from Tung-chow, to seek 
medical aid for Mrs. Danforth, who had become 
so ill that they were afraid to remain longer in 
Tung-chow, where there is no physician. But 
warm, sympathizing hearts are always rich in 
expedients ; the parlor had to do double duty, 
and for the night was turned into a bedroom, 
our kind host and hostess, having, however, to 
sleep on the floor. It was in vain that we 
begged the privilege of doing without a com- 
fortable bed ourselves, rather than they should 
be so inconvenienced. I found out afterwards, 



332 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

in some way, that they had passed an almost 
sleepless night, in consequence of the annoy- 
ance occasioned by fleas, of which, a person 
giving a true picture of Shantung life, is obliged 
often to speak. There are greater trials in life, 
of course, but few more irritating and provoking, 
than the petty persecutions of these miserable, 
remorseless, relentless insects. 

I have not mentioned that there came in com- 
pany with us from Shanghai a young Chinese 
girl, who was betrothed to a native Christian, 
associated with Mr. Holmes in his business. 
Their marriage took place the second evening 
after our arrival. 

We were anxious to proceed at once to Tung- 
chow, but were detained a day or two, by diffi- 
culty in getting our boxes off the ship. 

At length, all obstacles having been removed, we 
started, about two p. M. ? on the twentieth of June. 
Our party consisted only of Mr. Nevius and 
myself, our servant, Hyiao-fong, and the mule- 
drivers; but being obliged, on account of the 
narrow roads, to go single file, it seemed quite a 
cavalcade. I rode in a mule-litter, Mr. Neviu3 
and Hyiao-fong on horseback, and there were two 
pack mules. 

A mule-litter is a kind of palanquin ; the 



FIRST SUMMER AT TUNG-CHOW. 333 

poles supporting it rest upon mules, one before 
and one behind ; a driver walks at their side. 
For a short distance it is rather agreeable, though 
unsociable, as a litter is intended only to carry 
one individual. But, after a few miles, it be- 
comes very fatiguing, as it has no springs. and 
no seat for sitting erect. The mules, as they 
walk, impart a rough, jolting motion, or some- 
times, when they chance for a little distance to 
keep step, a sideways swing, which some one has 
most appropriately termed, one the "pepper 
box," and the other a " sieve motion." In 
order to sit or lie with any degree of comfort, 
we place our mattresses on the bottom, with as 
many pillows as are at hand to lean against, 
and then vary our position as much and as often 
as possible. But after ten or twenty miles of 
this sort of travelling, every bone and muscle in 
the body seems to enter a protest, and refuses to 
be comfortable ; no matter how desirous we are 
to make the best of our only practicable way of 
performing these long journeys. 

About three miles out from Yentai, or Che-foo, 
is the village of Chukee, where Mr. and Mrs. 
Parker and Mr. and Mrs. Smith, of the American 
Episcopal Mission, were endeavoring to form a 
new station. Little Harry Parker had ridden 



S04 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

with me in my palanquin from Yentai, and we 
stopped to leave him with his mother; but as we 
had been rather late in starting we tarried for 
only a few moments' chat, and thenjiastened for- 
ward, so as if possible to make the first stage 
of our journey by daylight. 

The scenery in the vicinity of Yentai is beau- 
tiful, and indeed nearly the whole way from that 
place to Tung-chow there is a pleasing succes- 
sion of gently undulating hills and valleys. We 
passed through several narrow rivers, which, 
though at certain seasons rushing torrents, were 
then either nearly or entirely dry, sandy beds. 
Only in one or two instances had we any difficulty 
in fording them. The great defect of the Shan- 
tung scenery is the absence of forests. The 
contour of the hills is beautiful, but they seem, 
in contrast to the luxuriant vegetation of the 
South, rather naked and barren. 

It was after dark when we reached an inn at 
the small village of Sing-tien, where we were to 
spend the night. I had already had some expe- 
rience of the discomforts of journeying in a 
country without hotels, or other conveniences of 
travel found in Western lands, but I had never 
seen anything quite so forlorn as the room in 
which we passed that night. It was at the back 



FIRST SUMMER AT TUNG-CHOW. 335 

of the stable-yard, where the mules, horses, 
and donkeys were kept ; and the odor therefrom 
was almost intolerable. It had but a mud floor, 
and paper windows, which, like the ceiling, 
were black with smoke, and literally festooned 
with cobwebs. The furniture of the room con- 
sisted of an old board bedstead, a rickety table, 
and perhaps a chair, while the dust, which cov- 
ered all, appeared to have been accumulating for 
years. I suspect the room was seldom used, as 
the muleteers, who alone would be likely to 
patronize such an unpromising "hotel," slept in 
the one large outer apartment, upon the " kang," 
which I will describe hereafter. 

We had brought our own mattresses and bed- 
ding, which we spread upon the tottering bed- 
stead, in the hope of a comfortable night's rest. 
Soon, however, the mules and horses close by our 
window became uneasy, kicking and screaming, 
hearing which, their drivers went out, and with 
blows and shouts quieted them for a time. Re- 
peatedly, in the course of the night, their services 
were in requisition for the same purpose, while 
the fleas, as if emulating the quadrupeds without 
in their efforts to prevent our repose, made us 
painfully aware of their presence also. 

By five o'clock the next morning we were 



386 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

again on the road. At mid-day we stopped at a 
much cleaner and more comfortable inn, where 
we took dinner and rested until two o'clock. At 
six in the evening we were nearing Tung-chow. 
I was forcibly reminded at that time, as often 
afterwards, when approaching the city, of repre- 
sentations and descriptions of Jerusalem. Lying 
in nearly the same latitude, with hills and moun- 
tains in its immediate neighborhood, its walls 
and parapets running now low through a valley, 
now up over a hill-top, with occasional towers 
and higher buildings rising above the ordinarily 
low structures, and particularly the clear blue 
sky, against which the walls and hills stand out 
in bold relief, it has often suggested to my mind 
the holy city, without, however, any such tender 
associations as must ever cling to " Zion the 
beautiful." 

Tung-chow is situated upon the northern shore 
of the Shantung promontory. Although a pre- 
fectural city, it is comparatively small, having 
somewhat less than one hundred thousand inhab- 
itants. It in reality consists of two separate 
cities, each completely enclosed with a wall. 
The smaller one lies close on the sea-shore, and 
is called the Swai-tsing, or water city ; the larger 
is so near at hand that a stone could be nun" 






FIRST SUMMER AT TUNG-CHOW. 837 

from its wall to the other. The streets of Tung- 
chow, though wider than those of southern towns, 
still scarcely deserve to be called roads. They 
are paved with stone, and are very rough. One 
street is paved almost entirely with old discard- 
ed millstones, which, as they are now worn 
smooth and slippery, are very precarious foot- 
holds for horses or mules. 

Some distance from the city Mr. Hartwell's 
native assistant met us, having brought out Mr. 
Gayley's horse for my husband to ride back, as 
it was a better one than that he had thus far 
been riding. As he passed me, in order to reach 
the city sooner than my slow-walking mules 
could perform the distance, my animals started 
and ran away with me ; not very far, nor very 
fast however, as the driver succeeded in stopping 
them before they had done other damage than to 
break the harness, and to alarm me somewhat. 

Mr. Nevius had a similar adventure. As he 
was passing through the suburbs, a vicious mule, 
tied to a feeding- trough, broke loose, and, drag- 
ging part of the trough with it, rushed after Mr. 
Nevius. Its frightened owner begged him to get 
out of the way as fast as possible ; so off they 
went pell-mell flying through the streets. How the 
race ended I do not know, but before I reached 

22 



338 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

the city Mr. Nevius had found our friends, and 
come back to accompany me in. 

I remember well that I was not a little curious 
as to the kind of place in which I should find our 
friends located, and my husband would not satisfy 
my curiosity in the least ; in fact, he seemed rather 
to enjoy my anxiety, and the relief I felt, when 
we passed a house of particularly forbidding 
exterior, to find that we did not stop there. At 
length a foreign lady or two standing in the 
street showed, without words, that our journey 
must be over; and at once my mules passed 
through a narrow gate, between high stone walls, 
into a paved court, where the litter was taken 
off, and I was delighted to find myself at the 
Hartwells. The warm, cordial welcome given 
us by them, and Mr. and Mrs. Gay ley, was truly 
delightful. Their house, though not at all in 
foreign style, was sufficiently roomy for a moder- 
ately large family, and, compared with those oc- 
cupied by the missionaries at Yentai, was pleasant. 

Our furniture and all heavy articles had been 
sent in a junk from Che-foo, and arrived the 
next morning after we reached Tung-chow. 

For several weeks the Gayleys and ourselves 
boarded with the Hartwells, but we felt sorry to 
impose such a burden upon Mrs. Hartwell, who, 






FIRST SUMMER AT TUNG-CHOW. 339 

though most patient and hospitable, was very deli- 
cate and unfit for so much additional care. But 
we had great difficulty in procuring houses. A 
suitable and pleasant one was then being repaired 
to be occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Danforth. This 
was the Kwan-yin tang> temple of Kwan-yin, 
the Goddess of Mercy ; where we afterwards 
passed many happy days. The only other house, 
which was at that time available, was a very 
poor one, next door to Mr. Hartwell's. As that 
was better than none, it was rented, and carpen- 
ters and masons set to work repairing and put- 
ting it in order. It was decided that the Gayleys 
and we should occupy it together. In the mean 
while we all remained at Mr. Hartwell's. 

There were from the first encouraging indica- 
tions that the progress of missionary work in 
Tung-chow would be more rapid than it had 
been in the older stations at the South. 

Mr. Nevius, who, fortunately, had already 
some knowledge of Mandarin, was able at once 
to commence preaching and conversing with the 
natives. For the first few months I could study 
but little, as my health continued poor, and my 
voice was so weak that strangers could scarcely 
hear me. But gradually I became accustomed 
to the dialect. Tsao, the native assistant, who 



340 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

had accompanied us from Ningpo, being an ex- 
cellent Mandarin speaker, gave me many useful 
hints ; and, almost before I knew it, I found my- 
self able to communicate with the natives in that 
dialect. 

The Mandarin, or Court dialect, is spoken all 
over the northern provinces, but it varies much 
in different places. Each large city has its pe- 
culiarities of pronunciation more or less marked, 
and its residents can be easily recognized by per 
sons familiar with the various places. The ver- 
nacular of Tung-chow is real Mandarin, but it 
has numerous sounds and phrases, never heard 
in Pekin, or where what is called standard Man- 
darin is spoken. 

As my health improved, I began to study in 
earnest ; and, if every one enjoyed it as much as 
I did, the acquisition of new languages would be 
no hardship. 

It was not until the middle of July that we 
were able to remove into our own house, and even 
then the repairs were not completed. The day 
was intensely hot, the thermometer standing at 
over 90°. In the afternoon, as I was resting in 
a small bedroom opening off of our parlor or 
study, a Mandarin from a distant city called, ac- 
companied by rather a numerous suite. Mr. 



FIRST SUMMER AT TUNG-CHOW. 341 

Nevius received him in the outer room. As 
there was no egress from the one where I was 
lying except through that, I was virtually a 
prisoner. This I would not have minded at all, 
had it not been that our only window, which 
opened on a court, had as yet no curtain nor 
screen, and before it the Mandarin's retainers 
stationed themselves, intent upon getting a view 
of the foreign lady. They seemed to enjoy the 
tableau so thoroughly as quite to forget the im- 
propriety of their conduct. I was much annoyed, 
but obliged to ignore their presence. Had 
they come back a few hours later they would 
have found a closely curtained window. 

Mrs. Gayley and I kept house together, divid- 
ing the work and the responsibility. Our ser- 
vants, with the exception of Hiao-fong, were all 
quite untrained ; and even he had not been 
taught either cooking or washing. Had our 
house been more conveniently arranged this would 
have mattered less; as it was, we were taxed 
almost beyond our powers of endurance. 

As that place was only a sample of numerous 
private dwellings in Tung-chow, I will describe 
it as nearly as I can remember it. 

The high stone wall against the street formed 
the outer wall of our rooms. There was no 



342 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

window in it when we went there, but one was 
soon after opened, to allow a freer circulation of 
air. Just back of our room was a long court, 
at each side of which was a small room, one a 
chapel, and one Mr. Gayley's study ; and beyond 
was Mrs. Gay ley's parlor, with a bedroom open- 
ing out of it. Then came another and larger 
court, which was the only vacant space on the 
premises for drying clothes, and the like. Next 
was the dining-room, with a closed passage-way 
at one side, and between it and the kitchen was 
a small court. Behind the kitchen was another 
small house where the servants slept. The rooms 
at the back were all very contracted, and were 
entirely without a pantry or closets of any sort. 
Whenever I went from my room to the kitchen, 
I had to go through Mrs. Gayley's parlor, and 
three separate courts ; which, either in the hot 
sun or in rainy weather, was no trifling journey. 
Some one suggested riding a donkey back and 
forth, but I doubted if even Mrs. Gayley's 
amiability would have been proof against the 
intrusion of that long-eared quadruped, making 
frequent transits through her best room. All 
the water used on the premises had to be 
brought from without, and that for drinking was 
carried a distance of nearly half a mile. In 



FIRST SUMMER AT TUNG-CHOW. 343 

our kitchen, which, by the way, was a miserable 
place, without a board floor or glass windows, we 
sometimes used a foreign cooking-stove, and 
sometimes a native range. We were much in- 
convenienced from having no guest-room, but 
Mr. Gayley's study was frequently used as one, 
and occasionally the dining-room, in which case 
we took our meals in Mrs. Gayley's parlor. But 
notwithstanding these various drawbacks, we 
passed a very cheerful summer. The chapel in 
both Mr. HartwclFs house and ours was daily 
opened for services ; and within only a few weeks 
there were several hopeful inquirers. 

The window, which I have mentioned as having 
been opened in the front wall, admitted, besides 
air, sounds and scenes not always desirable. 
Every few days a fair was held on the street, 
just at that point. Numbers of farmers, coming 
in from the country with their produce for sale, 
ranged themselves along on each side of the road, 
each man with a mule or donkey behind him, 
and bags of wheat, Indian corn, beans, etc., in 
front of him, opened for inspection. This occa- 
sioned great noise and eonfusion : the cries of the 
buyers and sellers, mingling with the unmusical 
braying of the donkeys and mules, were often 
almost deafening. Occasionally some inquisitive 



344 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

person would manage to raise himself to a suffi- 
cient height to take a peep through our window, 
which had been purposely made at such an eleva- 
tion as not to allow passers-by to gaze within. 

During the month of August I was very un- 
well, having a return of my throat affection and 
other , ailments, brought on, my husband was 
sure, by over-exertion in attending to the wash- 
ing department. For several weeks I was un- 
able to speak except in a whisper, and was 
obliged to remit study ; and could do but little 
work of any sort. Both the Hartwells and Gay- 
leys had left Shanghai in poor health, but their 
restoration after reaching Tung-chow was very 
rapid. We were not at all disappointed in the 
climate. Though the weather during some 
months of summer was hot, the effect of the 
heat was unlike that of either Shanghai or 
Ningpo. In a good foreign-built house I think 
we should not have suffered from it at all. The 
atmosphere was clear and bracing, and for many 
weeks there was scarcely any rain. Day after 
day the sun rose in a cloudless sky, while the 
fresh sea-breezes prevented the heat from becom- 
ing extreme. 

Every one seemed to be gaining in health ex- 
cept poor Mrs. Danforth. For her. the change 






" FIRST SUMMER AT TUNG-CHOW. 345 

to this favorable climate brought no relief. She 
and her husband remained at Yentai ; but from 
week to week we heard of her failing strength. 
She had looked forward with delight to being 
settled in a quiet home of their own, and fancied 
that the realization of her wish might restore her 
wasted energies. Although to a person so ill as 
she, the long, hard ride from Che-foo to Tung- 
chow, with no more comfortable conveyance than 
a mule-litter, seemed utterly impracticable, her 
friends at length yielded to her earnest desire, 
and the journey was undertaken ; and, in fact, 
she did not seem injured by it. But one glance 
at her emaciated form was sufficient to convince 
one not blinded by hope, that her days on earth 
were nearly ended. 

Mr. and Mrs. Danforth went at once to the 
Kwan-yin temple, where one room had been com- 
pleted, and hastily put in order. The poor in- 
valid was laid upon her bed, from which she was 
never again to rise. Masons and carpenters 
were at work close at hand; but she seemed 
scarcely to notice them, so happy was she to be 
at home. It was not in our power to procure for 
her the many delicacies, and almost necessaries, 
which are found in sick-rooms in our own coun- 
try. As I look back at her long and painful 



C46 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

illness, my heart aches to think of the many 
trials and deprivations to which she was subject. 

She failed very rapidly ; and, only two weeks 
after reaching Tung-chow, she went to join the 
blessed company of the "just made perfect " in 
heaven. Could Ave then have looked forward a 
few years into the future, how clearly we would 
have understood that she was indeed l ' taken 
away from the evil to come." 

When all but her husband had relinquished 
hope of Mrs. Danforth's recovery, and her other 
friends were daily anticipating her departure, we 
remembered sadly that we were strangers in a 
strange land, without even a spot in which we 
might bury our dead. It became necessary at 
once to make definite arrangements ; and the 
gentlemen of the two missions went to the offi- 
cers to ask to be allowed to purchase some place 
suitable to be used as a mission graveyard. 
They were kindly received, and the magistrate 
readily gave the assurance that any ground which 
might be selected for such a purpose should be 
secured to us. 

Close by the sea-shore, about a mile from our 
dwellings, are bold, treeless bluffs, too rocky and 
bleak for cultivation. Though close to the water- 
city, they are seldom visited, and are quiet even 



FIRST SUMMER AT TUNG-CHOW. 3'17 

to loneliness. One of these bluffs was chosen for 
our graveyard. The ascent to it from the city- 
is gradual ; but on the other sides it is abrupt, 
and difficult of access, while at its base the 
ocean breaks with one continuous sound, — now 
soft and low, and again, when the winds sweep 
over its bosom, like a pealing anthem of some 
grand cathedral service. Never was mass or re- 
quiem said or sung more deep and tender than 
the ocean's dirge as it moans and sobs on the 
rocky beach of our Hill Cemetery at Tung-chow. 
The view from the summit is lovely. Far off to 
the north and east stretch the blue waters of 
the Gulf of Pechele ; while to the west and 
south are the two cities, and a wide extent of 
country highly cultivated and picturesque. 

To this sweet spot, on the evening of the 
fifteenth of September, we brought all that was 
mortal of our dear Mrs. Danforth. 

Hers was the first grave of any Protestant 
missionary in the Province of Shantung. 



348 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

DESCRIPTION OF SHANTUNG. — INCURSION OF THE 
REBELS. 

China, in the Eastern Hemisphere, corre- 
sponds in many striking respects to the United 
States, in the Western. Its area is about the 
same, and, lying in nearly the same degrees of 
latitude, it has similar variations of climate, as 
also of natural productions. 

To a person who has lived long in Ningpo, 
the change from that region to the Shantung 
Province is very great. Ningpo has been de- 
scribed as " very hot in summer, very cold in 
winter, and damp the year round; " while it 
would not be inaccurate to say of Shantung, 
that it is not extremely warm in summer, nor 
very cold in winter ; and, with the exception of 
a few weeks in summer, is dry the year round. 
In Ningpo, the mercury seldom sinks to the 
freezing-point, and never more than a few de- 
grees below it ; while in Shantung, it sometimes 



DESCRIPTION OF SHANTUNG. 340 

falls nearly to zero. But in Ningpo, owing to 
the debilitating effects of the summer's heat, 
and the dampness and frequent changes, we are 
more susceptible to cold than in the North, and 
require even warmer clothing. 

The eastern part of the Shantung Province 
is a rocky promontory, bounded on the north 
by the Gulf of Pechelee, and on the south and 
east by the Yellow Sea. It is very mountainous ; 
but in the vicinity of Tung-chow the mountains 
are not usually high. The valleys are fertile 
and richly cultivated. Although the population 
is not nearly as dense as in the southern prov- 
inces, the last census estimated it at 27,000,000, 
— nearly three-fourths that of the whole United 
States. 

It is not common, either in the north or south 
of China, to see solitary farm-houses. The 
people usually dwell, either in cities and villages, 
or in the numerous little hamlets scattered over 
the plains, or nestling among the hills. 

I was much disappointed in the roads of 
Shantung, which I had heard described as really 
road-like, contrasting favorably with those of 
Southern China. They are wider, to be sure, 
but ill made, rough, and disagreeable ; and, in 
the parts which I have seen, not fit for foreign 



350 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

carriages of any description. The natives have 
no wheeled vehicles, with the exception of a 
kind of cart, which, by some strange misnomer, 
is often called by foreigners a "chariot." I 
suspect it may bear a striking likeness to the 
"chariots" of poor " Pharaoh and his host; " 
but I doubt if, since that time, anything quite 
so clumsy and ungainly has borne so pretentious 
a name. This cart is a small, covered box, 
without seats or springs, and rests upon two 
great heavy, wooden wheels. You seldom see 
these "chariots" at Tung-chow, but on the 
plains they are more common. Horses, mules, 
and donkeys are all used as beasts of burden, 
but horses are not very numerous. You see 
comparatively few sedan chairs in Shantung, 
though they are used on certain occasions. 
Women usually ride on horseback, or on mules 
or donkeys, led by a servant. They always sit 
astride. A thick veil covers their faces; but 
they are, of course, much more exposed than 
they would be in covered sedans. 

The soil of Shantung varies in the different 
localities. Its productions are very like those 
of the northern and middle States of America. 
Millet, sorghum, wheat, and maize are extensive- 
ly cultivated. Sweet potatoes, and numerous 



DESCRIPTION OF SHANTUNG. 351 

varieties of beans, together with onions, turnips, 
cabbages, leeks, melons, cucumbers, radishes, 
etc., etc., are found in abundance. 

The fruits of Shantung are very poor, many 
of them scarcely fit for use. There are apples, 
pears, peaches, plums, grapes, and apricots, of 
which only the last two compare at all favorably 
with the same fruits at home. 

As I have elsewhere remarked, there are few 
forest or shade trees in Shantung; and not 
nearly as many nor as beautiful flowers as are 
found at the South. Still, the hills at certain 
seasons are almost covered with sweet, modest 
wild flowers. I would not, by any means, give 
the impression that Shantung is a treeless, 
barren country ; but only that it presents fewer 
floral beauties than Japan, or the more southern 
and moister climates of China. 

I do not think the birds of Shantung are 
very numerous, but I remember, among them, 
some sweet singers; particularly, a species of 
lark, which, soaring in mid air, pauses on the 
wing, and warbles forth a song which fills the 
air with melody. 

The natives of this part of China are gener- 
ally much larger in stature than the Southern- 
ers. They are also a hardier race, capable of 






352 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

enduring great exertion. We could but notice 
the large proportion of persons of advanced age, 
as compared with that class at Ningpo. 

The houses of Tung-chow are built of stone 
and brick. They are almost invariably of one 
story. They seldom have board floors ; and 
their windows are simply lattice-work, with 
paper pasted over it. The furniture is very 
scanty, consisting merely of a few tables, stands, 
and chairs ; besides the inevitable ' ' kang, ' ' 
which is the bed by night, and the divan and 
lounging-place for the whole family by day. 
Women, when at leisure, or when engaged in 
sewing, usuallv sit a la Turk on their " kangs: " 
and they are also apt to take their meals there. 
The " kang " is a platform of mason work about 
two feet high, varying in size according to the 
wants of the family. It is sometimes not larger 
than an ordinary bedstead, but very frequently 
occupies the whole side of a room, being per- 
haps twelve feet long, and, at least, six wide. 
It is so constructed that fire can be kindled be- 
low, with a flue for carying the heat and smoke 
to every part, so that it becomes thoroughly 
warm, though not hot. As it retains its warmth 
a long while, persons sleeping upon it are not 
likely to suffer from cold, even though they may 






DESCRIPTION OF SHANTUNG. 353 

have but little covering. The heat of these kangs 
is to me very disagreeable, but the natives seem 
to enjoy it. 

Although the climate of the northern provin- 
ces is so cold, no use is made of stoves nor fire- 
places, nor of braziers, such as are common in 
Japan ; the nearest approach to them being these 
kangs, which I have just described. In the 
cold weather, the natives wear thickly wadded 
garments, adding one to another until they re- 
semble walking feather-beds. To keep their feet 
and hands warm, they often use foot-stoves, and 
tiny hand-stoves, which are both pretty and use- 
ful. Indeed, I do not know what the poor wo- 
men would do without them. Fuel is very 
scarce and expensive in China ; that is, in those 
places where we have lived. The natives resort 
to all sorts of expedients to secure enough for 
the simplest cooking purposes. Dry grass and 
roots, and straw are often used for boiling the tea- 
kettle, and straw is always, I believe, burned in 
the kangs. You very often see a little girl sit- 
ting on the floor beside these oven-like beds, or 
the cooking range, thrusting straw into the open- 
ing, a little at a time, keeping up a steady blaze. 

Foreigners in China burn both wood and coal. 

I scarcely know which is preferable. 
23 






354 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

There are coal mines in various parts of the 
empire, but as yet they have been very poorly 
developed. I presume they will hereafter be- 
come a source of revenue to the government, 
as well as a great convenience to the inhabitants, 
in the scarcity of fuel which is so characteristic 
of the country. 

It was in the Province of Shantung more than 
two thousand years ago that the great Confu- 
cius and his distinguished pupil Mencius were 
born. " The tomb of the former, who died 
B. c. 479, at Kiuh-fau, is a majestic monument, 
embosomed in a forest of oaks, whose gloomy 
shades are well fitted for nourishing the respect 
and homage paid his memory." 

Little commerce is carried on between Shan- 
tung and the adjacent countries. There is some 
intercourse between Tung-chow and Corea, and 
Kwan-tung across the Pechelee Bay, but there 
are very few junks, or sea-going vessels of any 
kind, as compared with the southern provinces. 

I have given this hasty glance at the country 
and people of Shantung, in order that any one 
who has followed our wanderings thus far may 
be able to form a somewhat definite idea of our 
new and last China home. We found the peo- 
ple simple-minded, and unsophisticated; and at 






DESCRIPTION OF SHANTUNG. 355 

first remarkably well-disposed towards foreign- 
ers. 

A few days after the death of Mrs. Danforth 
we removed to the Kwang-yin tang (that is, 
Temple of the Goddess of Mercy). This was a 
small establishment a short distance from the 
other mission houses. At that time it belonged 
to an old Buddhist priest who was an opium- 
smoker, and, like many of his class, in impover- 
ished circumstances ; so that he was desirous of 
making some money even at the sacrifice of pride 
and prejudice. It was only this which induced 
him to rent or lease us the temple, on such terms 
that our mission will be able to retain it for an 
indefinite term of years. We would have 
preferred on most accounts to live in a more busy 
and populous part of the city ; but still this place 
answered our purpose very well. 

Kwang-yin tang was on three sides surrounded 
by vegetable gardens, only a small corner of 
which was rented by us ; while the remainder 
was cultivated by outside persons with whom we 
had no connection. There was rather a preten- 
tious porch and gate at the main entrance on the 
street, but we nearly always made use of a small 
door a little at one side. A high wall separated 
the outer court from the inner one, on three sides 



356 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

of which were our apartments. The main room 
of the temple was at first a cheerless, dark place, 
with several idols, large and small, occupying a 
prominent position on a raised platform at the 
back of the room. When we went there to live, 
the whole was so changed that it could scarcely 
have been recognized as a temple at all. A par- 
tition divided the once large room into two 
smaller ones, which we used as parlor and bed- 
room. The idols had all been enclosed with 
mason work, neatly plastered and whitewashed. 
A large glass window opened from both rooms 
upon the court in front, and the vegetable garden 
behind, and a good board floor had taken the 
place of the old one of brick, or rather had 
been placed a little distance above the bricks. 
On the court side was a wide veranda ; on the 
right and left were tw r o other good-sized build- 
ings, which served nicely for dining and guest 
rooms. The kitchen was in a corner of another 
tiny court ; and Mr. Nevius' study was a small, 
low room on a court in the opposite corner. In 
order to go either to the dining or guest room, 
kitchen or study, in fact, to. any part of the 
house besides our two rooms, we had to go some 
little distance in the open air. The apartments 
which were afterwards used for the school, and 



DESCRIPTION OF SHANTUNG. 35T 

also those occupied by the servants, were on the 
sides of the outside court, and in a building 
which we had erected, situated at a still further 
remove. 

I cannot say that I should recommend the 
Kwang-yin tang as a perfect model for convenience 
or elegance. In stormy, or cold weather, it was 
neither safe nor agreeable to have to run through 
the rain or snow, when I was obliged to attend 
to domestic matters in the kitchen, or to oversee 
the girls in the school-room. Still, with all its 
disadvantages, I liked the place. Just in front 
of the dining-room door was an old arbor vitse, 
so tall and aspiring that it seemed as if deter- 
mined to see out beyond the narrow confines of 
its little enclosure ; while opposite it was a pretty 
young willow with graceful branches sweeping 
the ground. These two trees, the only ones in 
the court, were great pets of mine. The arbor 
vitae was a favorite with other living creatures 
also, the magpies, in particular, often congre- 
gating there and chattering with very boisterous 
voices. 

It seems almost trifling to describe so minutely 
our house and its surroundings, but as some per- 
sons have expressed a desire to know "just what 
kind of houses we live in, and how they are fur- 



358 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

nished," I will venture still further to say 
that our parlor had in winter a common " in- 
grain " carpet, and a foreign " gas-consuming " 
air-tight stove; a mirror, and several good pic- 
tures on the walls ; a large American rocking- 
chair, and some other easy-chairs, and an 
etagere ; besides a chintz-covered lounge, and a 
Japanese cabinet, which I used for a workstand. 
The other rooms had less furniture, but all that 
was really necessary. 

The ceilings of our house were composed of 
the stalks of kao-liang, or sorghum, tied to- 
gether, and attached to the rafters, with coarse 
paper pasted over it, and that carefully white- 
washed. When it is new and well done, this 
kind of ceiling looks nicely, and answers its pur- 
pose very well indeed. My kitchen was too 
small, but much better than I had ever had be- 
fore, being furnished with a little pantry, and a 
cooking-stove, — two luxuries in house-keeping. 

Mr. Nevius had a room fitted up close to the 
street, which he used as a chapel, and reception- 
room for Chinese visitors. 

The side building, which I have spoken of as a 
guest-room, was occupied by Mr. Danforth, who 
boarded with us until his return to the United 
States. 






INCURSION OF THE REBELS. 359 

Before we were settled in the temple, and 
while workmen were still engaged in certain 
parts of the house, rumors reached us of an in- 
vasion from a band of rebels called tu-fe or nien- 
fe (that is, thieves or banditti). Coming from 
the East, they swarmed over our section of the 
promontory, visiting not only the cities, or such 
of them as they dared attack, but also small 
villages in the country. 

A few extracts from letters written to my 
parents about this date will give a better idea of 
that sad month of October, and a few days pre- 
ceding it, than I could give from memory only, — 

" September 21st. — Away up here, hundreds 
of miles from Nankin, the head-quarters of the 
Chang-mao (long-haired rebels), we are now in 
a ferment of excitement on account of a threat- 
ened attack from insurgents of some sort, proba- 
bly only local banditti. It is said they are now 
besieging Hwang-hien, a city twenty miles dis- 
tant, which Mr. Nevius and Mr. Gayley visited 
a few weeks since. 

" Several of the Tung-chow city gates are kept 
closed by day, and all are shut at sunset, — some 
hours earlier than is usual. This evening as 
Mr. Nevius and I were going out for a short ride, 
we were told at the gate, that we must be back 



360 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

early, or we would not be able to enter the city. 
We noticed great numbers of country people 
hastening to gain protection within the walls, — 
women, some of them carrying one or two chil- 
dren, riding a donkey or mule, and a man trudg- 
ing along at their side. One old woman, astride 
a mule, had a large load of grass strapped each 
side of her. There were a good many soldiers 
on the walls keeping watch, ready to ward off 
intruders should they make their appearance. 
A day or two ago, in consequence of a very 
alarming rumor, the city banks had a great run 
upon them, their note issues being presented for 
specie payment. A proclamation was put out by 
the authorities stating that a bill for a thousand 
cash would only be allowed six hundred, and so 
on in that proportion. The next day matters 
were better, though still somewhat troublesome. 
One thing which makes it probable that the tu-fe 
will not molest this place, is that Tung-chow has 
the reputation of being a very poor city, with 
hardly enough wealth to pay the robbers for cap- 
turing it. It is quite possible, however, that we 
may soon be in a state of siege. 

" September 23d. — Last evening, about nine 
o'clock, Mr. Nevius had a visit from one of 
the city officials with whom he has become ac- 



INCURSION OF THE REBELS. 361 

quainted. This officer has gone out to-day with 
a band of soldiers in the direction in which the 
rebels are said to be, to drive them away ; or at 
least, to show them that, they are on the watch ; 
and more particularly to give confidence to the 
people, who are fearfully excited. His object in 
calling last night was to borrow our horses for 
the expedition. It seemed a strange idea to come 
to borrow foreigners' horses for such a purpose ; 
but Mr. Nevius and Mr. Gayley promised him 
theirs, and were rather glad to do so, because he 
has been kind and obliging to us, and they are 
pleased to have an opportunity to make him some 
slight return. We hear that he is to ride to-day 
in his sedan chair, only occasionally mounting 

the horses. J suggests that he will be 

likely to make use of the latter, in case he gets 
too near the rebels ; as he would have hard work 
to escape in his heavy chair, with four bearers. 
How ridiculous to think of going to fight shut up 
in a closed sedan ! By the way, this man is the 
one through whom we secured the site for our 
cemetery. It happened to be upon public lands 
which could not be sold ; and the missionaries 
felt uncomfortably about taking it without being 
able to secure a title. Our assistant, Tsao, 
called upon the officer and explained to him that 






362 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

the foreigners would much prefer paying for the 
land. The officer assured him that no difficulty 
would ensue in consequence, but that it was quite 
impossible to sell that ground, as it belonged to 
the emperor. "But," he added, "if your for- 
eign friends feel uncomfortably about it, why, 
Mr. Nevius has a very fine stereoscope, and, if he 
pleases, he can just send me that ! (The stereo- 
scope, which it seemed he so much admired and 
coveted, was one which had been sent me by a 
brother, and I prized it so much that I did not 
care to part with it. But I believe another, 
equally good, was ordered from Shanghai, and 
presented to his Excellency.) Our nights at 
this time are greatly disturbed by a noisy patrol 
in the streets. Every time they pass our win- 
dow they give a tremendous twang to their 
gong, enough, certainly, to frighten away sleep 
from the citizens, if not to alarm the rebels. 

" October 9th. — Since I last wrote you, we have 
passed through a very trying time. During the 
latter part of last week, rumors from the rebels 
became still more definite and alarming. People 
from the country came flying to the city. The 
gates were all shut and barricaded, but thousands 
were drawn up over the walls by ropes. Among 
this number was Mr. Gayley, who, having re- 



INCURSION OF THE REBELS. 363 

turned from Yentai (Che-foo), had no other way 
of reaching his house. Mr. Nevius and a China- 
man pulled him up with a rope. On Saturday 
I was ill and could not leave the house, but Sun- 
day I was upon the wall a short time, and while 
there saw a whole family thus drawn up ; among 
whom were several women, young and old, and 
one ten-days-old baby. I had my doubts whether 
this little personage would reach the top alive, 
as it was bundled up so tightly that I feared it 
would be smothered ; and, besides, it received a 
good many hard bumps in making the ascent. 
But a loud, healthy cry, and a sight of its little 
red face, reassured me. The young and active 
women, as they were being hauled up, braced 
themselves out at a right angle from the wall, 
and partly walked up its nearly perpendicular 
face. But one old woman just gave herself up 
as a dead weight, and so came up rubbing and 
striking against the stones. 

" A strange sight met our eyes as we looked 
over the wall, at the bottom of which there were 
literally thousands of ownerless mules and don- 
keys, running wildly about, apparently much 
puzzled and annoyed at their unwonted freedom. 
Their masters, having ridden to the foot of the 
wall, had been obliged to leave their animals 



364 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

there, with only a faint hope of ever seeing 
them again. But what will not a man sacrifice 
in order to save his life ! We have been told 
that many women flying from the rebels, in their 
terror and desperation, have thrown their little 
children into rivers and ponds at the road-side, 
in order to prevent their falling into the hands 
of their enemies. Nearly every evening we see, 
in the red glare of the clouds, the reflected light 
of burning villages ; and in the daytime heavy 
smoke rising here and there, in places more or 
less remote, tells the same sad story. 

"There is a report that the rebels are encamped 
in immense numbers in the Hwang-hien valley, 
twenty miles distant, and that they are now en- 
gaged in undermining the walls of that city, 
and that, after capturing Hwang-hien, they will 
at once advance upon Tung-chow. 

" Yesterday the gate nearest us was opened for 
a short time, and Mr. Nevius and Mr. Danforth 
embraced the opportunity to ride out on horse- 
back. They went a long way, and did not get 
back until evening. I was terribly anxious 
about them. It seemed to me very ynprudent 
to venture out at such a time ; for, though the 
main army may now be miles distant, we know 
that bands of rebels have been very near us 



INCURSION OF THE REBELS. 865 

They witnessed most fearful sights. Not quite a 
mile from the city, noticing an unusual appear- 
ance in a certain spot, they rode to it, and there 
lay six or eight well-dressed and very respectable 
women, dead by the roadside. Each had a rope 
round her neck, which was worn and red, and 
the lacerated back of one of them showed very 
plainly that their heartless captors had been 
dragging them over the ground. Nestling close 
at the side of the women, who were doubtless 
their mothers, were several little children, also 
dead. There were no marks of violence upon 
them, and probably the little ones had died of 
starvation. Only the day before, as we were 
upon the city wall, we had noticed some objects 
moving at or near this spot, and had we been 
able to go thither sooner, we might have saved 
these poor children from their sad fate. The 
gentlemen visited a village some miles from 
Tung-chow, the inhabitants of which had with 
great bravery endeavored to protect themselves 
from the rebels ; but overpowered -by superior 
numbers, they had been conquered and cut 
down, and there they were lying in various 
places and attitudes, just as the rebels had left 
them. One poor creature was tied to a tree, his 
blackened body showing plainly that he had been 



366 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

tortured by fire, and another, also tied to a tree, 
had been literally hacked to pieces. 

"Their village was in a lovely, retired spot in 
a gorge of the mountains. No doubt they loved 
it well, to be thus willing to sell their lives in 
its defence. 

' ' The gentlemen found an old man by the road- 
side, about five miles from Tung-chow, almost 
dead apparently from fatigue and starvation. 
After restoring him to partial consciousness, by 
food and wine obtained in a neighboring village, 
they constructed a rude litter and employed 
some men to carry him to Tung-chow, hoping to 
save his life. It was, however, too late. He died 
just before reaching the city. 

" Many of the villages through which they 
passed were still almost deserted, their inhabit- 
ants having fled, either to Tung-chow, or to 
places of concealment in the mountains. In one 
or two cases, they had well-nigh suffered injury ; 
the enraged villagers, seeing two strange-looking 
men approaching, took them for rebels, and were 
on the point of attacking them. But a few kind 
words of sympathy and encouragement were 
enough to turn the tide of feeling to gratitude 
and affection, and they soon came crowding 
around them with their sad tales of distress. 



INCURSION OF THE REBELS. 367 

" We have now staying with us, a family whom 
Mr. Nevius found a few nights since in the 
streets. The man, whose name is Fan-yin-tai, 
is badly wounded, and we have many fears for 
his recovery. A band of rebels attacked his 
village, and the villagers fought and drove them 
off. A few days later they came in greater num- 
bers. Hearing of their approach, Fan-yin-tai 
took his family and concealed them on the top 
of a high hill. He then went back to his house 
to procure food and other necessaries. These he 
had placed upon a donkey, and was already half 
a mile from his house, on his return to his 
family, when the rebels overtook him, and at 
once attacked him. As they struck his head, he 
naturally threw up his hands to protect it, and 
thus both his hands and head have received 
frightful wounds, nearly twenty in all. We may 
be able to save his life, but he cannot possibly 
recover the perfect use of his hands. His family 
consists of his wife and child and an aged grand- 
mother. It goes to my heart to witness their 
distress ; but they bear it bravely. I ought to 
have mentioned that this poor, wounded man 
actually carried his mother upon his back a great 
part of the distance between his home and Tung- 
chow ; she having become unable to walk. 



368 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

'• October 11th. — We are expecting to Bend off 
our man Chong-shu to Yentai to-night. He will 
travel after dark, in order to avoid observation 
should he pass through the vicinity of the 
rebels. 

" We are more quiet to-day, and hope our diffi- 
culties may be nearly over. One cause of 
anxiety at present is the non-arrival of the Cul- 
bertsons, whom we have been expecting for 
weeks, from Shanghai. A steamer from the 
South reports having seen a Siamese vessel (prob- 
ably the one in which the Culbertsons sailed) 
dismasted, and evidently attempting to get in to 
shore ; so where our friends are now is altogether 
uncertain. They may have been driven by stress 
of weather farther down the coast, or they may 
have been lost at sea. But we will hope for the 
best. [The Culbertsons were driven down the 
coast in a typhoon, as far as Amoy, which place 
they reached in safety.] 

" October 12th. — The man did not go last 
evening, as was expected, it being thought best 
to detain him a day or two. There is a report 
that Yentai has been captured by the rebels; 
another report says that there was an engage- 
ment between them and the foreigners, in which 
the latter were worsted, and obliged to send off 



INCURSION OF THE REBELS. 369 

for reinforcements. Just at dusk this evening. 

J and Mr. Danforth were on the wall at the 

east gate, and some one came to them saying that 
there was a foreigner desiring to gain admission 
to the city. Looking through the embrasures, 
they saw Mr. Andrew Holmes, a brother of Rev. 
J. L. Holmes, of Yentai. After some difficulty, 
they succeeded in getting the gate opened. Mr. 
Holmes was just returning from Tien-tsin (near 
Pekin), having made the long journey alone, on 
horseback. He speaks of the country through 
which he has passed, as one scene of desolation ; 
the rebels having passed over his route before 
him, burning villages, capturing or killing the 
inhabitants, and not only so, but putting to death 
every living creature. He says in some places 
the streets were so crowded with dead bodies of 
donkeys, cattle, dogs, and fowls, besides many, 
many human corpses, that he was scarcely able 
to pass. 

1 ' A terrible rumor has reached us this evening 
from Yentai ; whether it is true or not we have 
no means of ascertaining, but we have many 
fears. It is said that when the tu-fe approached 
Yentai, Rev. Mr. Holmes and either Mr. Dudley 
Smith or Mr. Parker, of the American Episcopal 
Mission, went out to meet them, and have not 

24 






370 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

returned ! We were at tea at Mr. Hartwell's, 
with Mr. A. Holmes, when this story wa3 brought 
there by the Chinese. Mr. Holmes had run 
great risks in his journey from Pekin, every 
mile having been beset with danger ; and he felt 
safe and happy to be at Tung-chow, so near his 
home. It seemed too sad that he should hear 
such news. I think he felt at once that the 
probabilities were that it was true. He will, I 
suppose, leave in the morning for Yentai, though 
the route is not considered safe. His anxiety is 
so intense that he prefers to run some risk rather 
than wait longer. We will send our letters by 
him. It may be a long while before you hear 
from us agaio, as communication is difficult. It 
is possible that we may be obliged to leave Tung- 
chow for a time ; that is, if we can by any possi- 
bility get away. If the rebels return, as they 
threaten to do, the place would no doubt be sur- 
rounded, so that we might find it impossible to 
escape either by sea or by land. It is a comfort 
to see the entire confidence with which we are 
regarded by the natives. They evidently know 
that we are their friends. 

" Within the last few days, several individuals 
have been captured within the walls, supposed to 
be spies. They were executed at once. 



INCURSION OF THE REBELS. 371 

" Much fear has been felt that the rebels would 
attempt to set fire to the city, and, during the 
excitement, gain admission and easily capture it. 

" Thursday, October 18th. — It is nearly two 
weeks since our friends Mr. Parker and Mr. 
Holmes met their sad fate at the hands of the 
rebels. The rumor which reached us the night 
when Mr. Andrew Holmes arrived from Tien- 
tsin, proved to be true. There was an impres- 
sion among foreigners at Yentai, that these 
banditti had some connection with those at Nan- 
kin, who had thus far shown some deference to 
foreigners ; and it was supposed that there would 
be little or no danger from seeking an interview 
with them, while much good might be done in 
inducing them to assume a different policy, per- 
haps ensuring the safety of the town of Yentai, 
and other villages in that vicinity. With some 
such hopes as these, the two gentlemen left their 
homes ; while neither they nor their friends were 
at all disturbed by anticipations of danger. 
They could not, I think, have known as much as 
we at Tung-chow, of the true character of the 
tu-fe. On the morning after leaving home they 
found themselves near a large body of the rebels, 
and still not suspecting danger, they went for- 
ward right into the face of death. Of the 






372 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

minute and distressing particulars of this sad 
event, I must not speak further here. Nor of 
those two sad watchers at Yentai. As day after 
day passed, and a torturing possibility grew into 
certainty, their grief was such as a stranger 
ought neither to ' intermeddle with,' nor attempt 
to describe. 

' * Messrs. Parker and Smith lived, as I have 
said, at Chukee, about three miles back from 
Yentai ; Mrs. Holmes had gone to pass the time 
of her husband's absence with them. They did 
not quit their house until one midnight a mes- 
senger came with horses and a letter from the 
kind and considerate English Consul at Che-foo, 
begging them to leave at once as the rebels were 
close at hand. They did so, but were scarcely 
out of the village, when it was entered by the 
advance of the rebel army. Their house was 
plundered, many articles of value were carried 
off, and much was wantonly destroyed. 

" October 23d. — Mr. Nevius had a call to-day 
from a man who was carried off by the rebels 
about a month ago, and only a few days since 
made his escape from them. He represents 
their numbers as almost beyond computation. 
He says there are three different bands, distin- 
guished by, and usually called the white, red, and 



INCURSION OP THE REBELS. 373 

black flags; the latter is said to be the most 
cruel and blood-thirsty. He says the section he 
was with did not often take life, unless resistance 
was offered, and then they never hesitated to do 
so. He represents them as less courageous than 
I had supposed ; and says they are exceedingly 
afraid of firearms, of which they have few or 
none. To prevent their captives from escaping, 
they dress them in their own clothes, so that 
they must inevitably be taken for rebels, and 
when making an attack, place them in the thick- 
est of the fight, taking care that enough of their 
own men are near them to prevent their making 
their escape. They are particularly fond of cap- 
turing little boys, whom they dress in fine clothes 
and allow to ride the horses. The company 
which has been in this vicinity had the black 
flag. They captured a great many women and 
young girls. This poor man says that when his 
family found that he had been carried off, all of 
them drowned themselves, with the exception of 
two or three little children, who are all that are 
left of a once large household. Probably they 
feared being taken also, or possibly they were 
beside themselves with terror. I do not wonder 
at their fright, poor things ! 

" Aside from our own danger, we have suffered 






374 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

more than I can express, in witnessing the mis- 
eries of the poor natives. In passing through 
the streets, we often see persons with their heads 
apparently half severed from their bodies ; while 
wounds and bruises of various descriptions meet 
our eyes on every side. Mr. Gayley's and Mr. 
Hartwell's houses have been turned into tempo- 
rary hospitals ; and these gentlemen are most 
kindly devoting themselves to dressing wounds, 
and providing simple remedies such as are within 
their reach. Fewer wounded persons have come 
to us on account of our place being in a less 
crowded thoroughfare ; still we have had many 
demands upon our time and sympathies. How 
often I wish that I had some medical skill, it 
would be so useful here ! I hope never again to 
feel such need of a knowledge of surgery ; but 
that also would often be invaluable to a lady as 
well as a gentleman. "Why would it not be well 
for ladies contemplating missionary life to devote 
some time to medical studies, or at least to gain 
some practical insight into the mysteries of nurs- 
ing, and the elements of medical science ? Our 
Romanist sisters have made much use of this means 
of gaining an influence. With a spirit of devo- 
tion and self-sacrifice well worthy of imitation, 
they go among the poor natives, dressing wounds 



INCURSION OF THE REBELS. 375 

and sores, and seeking to relieve not only their 
spiritual, but their temporal wants. Protestant 
medical missionaries have also performed a good 
and noble work of the same kind ; but I see no 
good reason why it must be confined to men 
only. 

" October 26th. — We are all quiet at present, 
and have no more fear of the rebels returning 
before next spring. They have gone, it is said, 
to their haunts in the south-western corner of this 
province. What a comfort it is to feel safe and 
easy again ! How thankful we are that in this 
time of danger we have been kept in safety ! It 
has been good for us to be thus cut off from all 
human aid, and made to realize our dependence 
upon God alone. We have found him an all- 
sufficient help in this our time of danger, and I 
hope we shall trust him more implicitly in the 
future. Our friends in Yentai were much sur- 
prised at our remaining in Tung-chow, away from 
foreign protection, but we are glad that we were 
able to do so. The people seem to feel more con- 
fidence in us than before. This communion in 
suffering has created a bond of sympathy between 
us. 

" We have a comfortable and pleasant home. 
The old temple with its foreign adornings, glass 



376 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

windows, board floors, etc., scarcely knows itself, 
so changed is it from the gloomy old Kwan-yin 
tang." 

The weather, all through this autumn of 1861, 
was charming ; and the atmosphere so pure and 
health-giving that, in spite of all anxieties and 
inconveniences, I, as well as the other invalids, 
grew much stronger ; and, to my joy, I was soon 
able to commence more systematic study of the 
language, — not only the vernacular, but also the 
written character. 

Mr. Nevius spent much time in his study, hard 
at work upon his book-making, not, however, to 
the exclusion of chapel-preaching, and occasional 
itinerating. In company with the other mission- 
aries, he visited the neighboring cities and vil- 
lages, preaching and distributing books. I re- 
member that on one of these days, coming back 
from Hwang-hien, he was obliged to walk fifteen 
miles. He had gone with my pony, which, not 
being strong, gave out, so that he was afraid to 
ride him. Another day he had an equally hard 
tramp over the hills in another direction. He 
went to'visit the wounded man Fan yin-tai. Not 
familiar with the road, he had much difficulty in 
finding the right village, so that the day was 
well spent before he could start homewards. 



INCURSION OF THE REBELS. 377 

The weather proved inclement, and the road over 
the mountains was so stony and bad that he was 
obliged to walk for ten miles, leading his horse. 
I was thankful to see him home safely, especially 
as the country was then still infested by small 
bands of robbers. 



•378 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

VARIOUS INCIDENTS AT TUNG-CHOW. — CHOLERA. 

Our first winter in Tung-chow was a pleasant 
one. We had never been more isolated ; even 
Shanghai and Ningpo seemed very far away. I 
think we were two full months without receiving 
a mail ; and that too, at a time when matters in 
America were in a state to occasion us the great- 
est anxietj. As I have no "journal" of that 
period, I shall make occasional extracts from 
letters to my parents, or other home friends. 

Reading over these old letters has brought to 
mind very vividly some of the events of that 
quiet winter. On the 7th of December I wrote : 
' ' Mr. Nevius has gone out to our new chapel to 
commence an evening service. He expects here- 
after to be there about every third night. It is 
rather lonely for me to have him so much away ; 
but I would not detain him from these services, 
if I could. Our long winter evenings are about 
the pleasantest time we have, when I am reading, 



VARIOUS INCIDENTS AT TUNG-CHOW. 379 

writing, or sewing, and Mr. Nevius sits near me 
studying. I am sometimes sorry he does not 
take his evenings for recreation, and general 
reading ; but he thinks it necessary, in order to 
accomplish all he wishes, to keep plodding on 
in the way he does. He has scarcely read an 
English work since he has been in China. He 
has now in the press at Shanghai, or already 
printed, a book called ' Guide to Heaven,' — a 
tract on Ancestral Worship; ' Mark, with Notes,' 
and one volume of Theology ; and he has about 
ready to be printed a second volume ; also i The 
Assistant's Manual,' and a tract called ' The Two 
Lights ' (that is, those of Nature and Revela- 
tion). He is at present preparing the third 
volume of Theology, which, when finished, will 
make about half of the contemplated ' Compen- 
dium.' 

" You will be glad to know that my health is 
much better than it has been for a long while. 
I am busy all day, and some days am not obliged 
to lie down to rest at all. I get tired enough by 
night, but am not made ill by fatigue, as I here- 
tofore have so often been. 

"December 17th. — Evening. Mr. Nevius 
is away again at chapel. He has invariably had 
good audiences, who listen with attention and in- 






380 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

terest. It certainly seems as if the Tung-chow 
people are more easily influenced than the 
Chinese generally are. 

" I have just engaged a female servant. I have 
had none since coming here, and should not 
care for one now. except on account of learning 
the language. Although Mandarin is spoken all 
over the north of China, local peculiarities are 
very marked. Tung-chow is full of provincial- 
isms. Moreover, "women's talk" is very dif- 
ferent from men's, and it is much harder for us 
to understand them, or they us. I can speak 
Mandarin pretty well, but make wretched work 
with these Tung-chow women. Most unfortu- 
nately, the woman who has come to me as a 
servant, I find, is not a native of this place, and 
her dialect is very different from this. I scarcely 
know what to do ; for I am sure she will not wish 
to leave me, and yet she will be but little help 
in learning this language. 

' ' I had a visit to-day from two ladies, the wife 
and sister of Suen sin-sang, Mr. Nevius' teacher. 
The former I liked very much, she is so sweet and 
lady-like. They had been out to dine, and were 
in full dress. My dress is very common com- 
pared with that of a well-dressed Chinese woman. 
I never mean to be shabby ; but the absence of 



VARIOUS INCIDENTS AT TUNG-CHOW. 881 

satin, embroidery, and flowers, must make us 
seem plain to them even in our best c gear.' 

"I am very much occupied just now out of 
study hours, in getting ready for Christmas. I 
can make but few presents this year. Tung- 
chow has the poorest shops of any place I ever 
lived in. "We can buy scarcely anything either 
for use or ornament. Mr. Nevius is sadly in 
need of a pair of warm winter gloves. I must 
try to make him some ; I think I can cut them 
out of cloth and maybe cover the backs with 
fur. 

" December 28th. — I had a little company 
on Christmas, but the kitchen was so cold that I 
could not remain in it long enough to make very 
elaborate preparations. After all, we contrived 

a little interchange of presents. J gave me 

two pretty fur rugs. I gave him a watch-case : 
— the gloves, I am sorry to say, were not a 
' success.' I debated long whether to present 
Mrs. G. a pair of button-hole scissors, or a copper 
tea-kettle (which I brought from Japan), but 
decided upon the former. Mrs. H. received a 
pin-cushion, which I have enjoyed making for 
her. Mrs. Gay ley gave me a lamp-mat, and a 
pair of mittens; Mrs. H., a beautiful muslin 
' set,' collar and cuffs (which she had ordered 



382 OUR LIFE IN CHINA, 

from Shanghai), and a goose! So you may 
feel sure that for one good dinner at "least we 
are provided. A few other little gifts were also 
made and received. 

" Ningpo, we hear, is in the hands of the rebels, 
but we have had no letters from there, nor indeed 
from anywhere, for about six weeks. We feel 
very much out of the world, especially since 
winter set in, and our mails have been so irregu- 
lar. The last, we hear, was by some mistake 
carried up to Tien-tsin, and there the mail 
steamer got frozen in ; so that we will have to 
wait until it can be brought back overland. 

" I find the acquisition of ' the character ' 
very fascinating, and to my surprise I acquire it 
readily. Still it is an almost endless work. I 

wonder how J , with his other duties, has 

been able to gain so good a knowledge of it. If 
I am well, and able to study, in the course of a 
few months I can read very simple books : but it 
will be long before I can use it in composition. 
It is more than a month since I commenced, and 
I know only three or four hundred characters. 
If you would like to see some specimens just 
examine any China tea-chest, and I think you will 
be sure to find some there. 

" March 3d. — Yesterday was an important 



VARIOUS INCIDENTS AT TUNG-CHOW. 006 

and interesting time to us. Three persons were 
admitted to the church. Of these, one is our 
servant Ahpao ; who came with the Danforths 
from Ningpo. I think he has been seriously 
inclined ever since the death of Mrs. Danforth. 
Another is Lin sin-sang, Mr. Gayley's^ teacher. 
He is a scholar with a degree. I suppose he is 
a very intellectual man, and a good writer; but 
he has always been particularly disagreeable to 
me. He has some odd ways, which are amusing, 
though at times rather annoying. He usually 
carries about a dog-skin to sit upon ; and last 
summer, when he was employed as Mr. Nevius' 
teacher, he used always to bring it with him, and 
carefully spread it upon our chairs, before seat- 
ing himself. He is also very dainty, and ap- 
parently affected in other respects. But still, 
the gentlemen think well of him, and I trust he 
may prove a good and useful man. 

' ' The other person who was yesterday received 
into the church is Mr. Chang, who is acting as a 
scribe for Mr. Nevius ; and also as my teacher. 
He does not seem naturally a strong character, 
yet he has shown a great deal of firmness in his 
determination to become a Christian ; his family 
being much opposed to it. One evening not 
long since, as he was coming here to attend 



384 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

Bible class, his older brother met him and began 
to abuse him for having disgraced himself and 
his family by adhering to the foreigners' relig- 
ion. Finding that words had little effect, he 
tried blows, and had nearly torn poor Chang's 
clothes off him. Finally Mr. Chang said, 
' Now, elder brother, if you kill me you cannot 
shake my purpose ; for I will be a Christian.' 
Hearing which, his brother left him, saying, 
' Very well then, from this hour you cease to 
be my brother ! ' 

" Some time since we felt greatly encouraged 
about Suen sin-sang. He is a fine-looking, gen- 
tlemanly man, of very good family. He is now 
poor, and an opium-smoker. He did not at first 
seem favorably impressed by Christianity ; but 
his interest increased, and it was evident that he 
had become intellectually convinced of its truth 
long before he felt willing to yield obedience to 
its commands. Mr. Nevius labored most faith- 
fully with him, and they had daily long and 
earnest conversations. At length we hoped that 
the matter was decided, and that Suen was will- 
ing to confess the Saviour, no matter what ob- 
stacles might oppose. But in this we were 
mistaken ; and I cannot express the trial it has 
been to us. He meets with violent opposition in 






VARIOUS INCIDENTS AT TUNG-CHOW. 385 

his family ; and, instead of standing firm, he is 
evidently inclined to yield. His wife, whom I 
thought so gentle and interesting, it seems is 
often quite the contrary. She is unusually 
bright and intelligent, and must also be possessed 
of a wonderful amount of determination and 
courage, which qualities she exhibited lately in 
a singular way. She was trying to dissuade 
Suen from joining the church, and, finding him 
rather obstinate, she vowed that if he did so she 
would commit suicide ; and, in attestation of the 
sincerity of her purpose, seized a large knife and 
cut her finger quite to the bone. 

"But what seems to have most influence upon 
Suen is the fact that his mother, to whom he 
has always been accustomed to yield implicit 
obedience, positively forbids his being a Chris- 
tian. The family try all sorts of ways to keep 
him from coming to church on the Sabbath. 
Once they hid his clothes, so that he could not 
dress until late in the day ; and again they locked 
him in a room, and kept him there until after 
the hour for service. Fancy a foreign gentleman 
being deprived of his liberty in any such way ! 
I am quite out of patience with Suen ; but Mr. 
Nevius has still much sympathy for him. 

" Mr. and Mrs. Gay ley are at Yentai ; they 
25 



386 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

were obliged to go there to have a tooth of Mrs. 
Gay ley's extracted. She had been suffering in- 
tensely for days, but none of the gentlemen felt 
able to undertake the rather difficult dental opera- 
tion." 

Suen sin-sang proved to be a real " missionary 
trial." From the time in which he began to 
show signs of vacillation in yielding to his wife's 
and mother's opposition to Christianity, his 
course was steadily downwards. He soon gave 
up all profession of interest in religion, and, not 
only so, he became an opposer : and we heard, 
after he had left Mr. Nevius' employ, that he 
took particular pleasure in spreading injurious 
reports respecting us. He also returned to his 
practice of opium-smoking, of which he had 
apparently been entirely cured. 

Mrs. Suen had been in the habit of visiting 
me ; but her visits were discontinued, and before 
long we lost all trace of the family. 

In the month of April, Mr. Danforth was 
taken very ill, and it became necessary that he 
should go to Che-foo in order to consult a phy- 
sician. Mr. Nevius and I accompanied him. He 
was kindly received by one of the missionary 
families, and after a few days was so much im- 
proved that Mr. Nevius ventured to leave him, 



VARIOUS INCIDENTS AT TUNG-CHOW. 387 

and go j in company with Mr. Smith, of the 
American Episcopal Mission, on an itinerating 
tour round the promontory. On this tour they 
met with much encouragement. People every- 
where listened well to preaching, and eagerly 
received Christian books. 

During the two weeks of their absence I re- 
mained with our friends at Che-foo, assisting 
when needed in nursing Mr. Danforth. When 
my husband returned, Mr. Danforth, though ap- 
parently convalescing, was not able to undertake 
the journey home; so we returned without him. 
Soon after this, Mr. Nevius and Mr. Gay ley 
started upon another long contemplated itinera- 
tion to Lai -chow and vicinity. 

One evening during their absence we received 
a message from a friend at Yentai, saying, "If 
you would see Mr. Danforth alive, come at 
once ; for he is very ill, just at the point of 
death." It happened that the Halls of Yentai 
were then at Tung-chow, and that same evening 
Mr. Hall, Mrs. Gayley, and I started for Che- 
foo. It was a hard journey. We stopped at a 
miserable inn late at night, and early the next 
morning were again on the road. We found 
Mr. Danforth very ill ; but in a day or two he 
rallied somewhat, and Mrs. Gayley, who could 



388 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

not well remain long away from her family, 
went back to Tung-chow, making the long jour- 
ney in one day. She was quite alone, but met 
with no difficulty whatever. 

When Mr. Neviu3 returned from Lai-chow, 
he was startled to find our house closed, and 
evidently unoccupied. Not a person was to be 
seen. Soon, however, a servant appeared, ex- 
plaining the mystery, and giving him a letter, 
which I had left for him. He was nearly worn 
out by his hard missionary tour, and for days 
had not been at all well ; but, without a night's 
rest, he started again, and the next morning 
was at Che-foo. 

Mr. Danforth's illness continued, and assumed 
such a character as to require either Mr. Nevius' 
or my constant attention, besides much assist- 
ance given us by other friends. After a time 
he accompanied us back to Tung-chow; but his 
health was never perfectly restored, and in a 
few months he was obliged to return to the 
United States. 

He was a great loss to us and to our work, 
for which he was so well fitted. 

The twentieth of June we had a remarkable 
hail-storm. There was first a thunder-shower, then 
a calm, then a long-continued murmuring sound, 



CHOLERA. 889 

like distant thunder, which it may have been. 
Then came the hailstones flying in every direc- 
tion. Our windows, which open like doors, 
were thrown back, or they must inevitably have 
been broken to pieces. The largest hailstones 
were the size of an egg, but most of them were 
somewhat smaller. The ground was white with 
them. When Mr. Nevius returned from chapel, 
soon after the storm was over, he proposed, just 
for the novelty of the thing, to gather the hail- 
stones and make ice-cream with them. Little 
children in the neighborhood joined in the fun, 
and soon there were two large buckets collected, 
and the ice-cream was made forthwith. 

In this month the literary examinations were 
held in Tung-chow ; and scholars from all parts 
of the promontory were collected. There were 
said to be more than four thousand there at one 
time. All the chapels were kept open from 
early in the morning until late at night, and 
our houses were overflowing with visitors. It 
was a capital time for preaching and distributing 
books. 

One Sabbath morning in July, when we were 
up at Mr. Hartwell's attending an English ser- 
vice, we heard for the first time, that cholera 
had broken out at Yentai, with great mortality 



390 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

among the natives. I think it was the evening 
of the same day that we heard of the death of 
Mrs. Dudley Smith, from that disease, at Chu- 
kee. Only a few weeks before we had enjoyed 
a delightful visit from her at Tung-chow. Mrs. 
Smith was one of those rare characters who 
seem fitted to grace any sphere. Intellectual, 
and thoroughly educated, with fine conversa- 
tional talents and a cheerful temperament, she 
was a great acquisition to our little mission cir- 
cle ; while in any society, either at home or 
abroad, her presence would have been no less 
welcome. I think her friends in China will re- 
member, as a most prominent characteristic, her 
peculiar unselfishness, together with her unusual 
efficiency in every emergency. We saw both of 
these traits illustrated in her care for the 
wounded among the sufferers from the rebels. 
She appeared to know intuitively just what 
was required to be done, and never shrank from 
a disagreeable duty if her services seemed nec- 
essary. We had hoped much from the influence 
of her beautiful life, no less than from her active 
labors among the Chinese ; and her sudden re- 
moval appeared to us a dark and mysterious 
providence. 

Before we had at all recovered from the effects 



CHOLERA. f>01 

of this sad event, news reached us from Yentai 
of the death of Madame Bonheur, and of a 
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hall, — the pretty, 
bright little Theresa, — both from cholera. Mad- 
ame Bonheur was a charming person, uniting 
real worth with vivacious manners and disposi- 
tion. She spoke German and English quite as 
well as her native French, and was highly ac- 
complished. She had been in China too short a 
time to have acquired that language, or to com- 
mence any kind of missionary work. Must we 
then think her brief life, or that of others, who, 
like her, have been early called hence, either 
wasted or a failure? Ah, no! Let us trust 
Him who knows best when to remove those who 
love Him, and whom He loves, from earth to 
heaven, that their offering has been accepted, 
and that the good they had willed to do, He 
will accomplish for them ; while they are spared 
the sorrow and care of a longer life in a world 
which must be to every one, more or less, a 
"valley of tears." 

Only a day or so later we heard of the 
death of Mr. Hall, at Yentai, from the same 
disease. He had a medical education, and, dur- 
ing the ravages of the pestilence, had been in- 
defatigable in his efforts to assist ana relieve the 



392 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

poor natives in their terror and distress. Up to 
the time of his own illness he was constantly 
going among them with remedies and advice. 
Death found him at the post of duty. 

Just at this time, Mr. and Mrs. Mills, from 
Shanghai, arrived at Yentai en route for Tung- 
chow. Previous to leaving home she had lost a 
little boy, from cholera, and on the passage from 
Shanghai had herself been at the point of 
death from that disease. Hearing of their arri- 
val, Mr. Gayley, their brother-in-law, went to 
Che-foo to accompany them to our city ; for 
which place they were on the eve of starting, 
when the Mills' only remaining child was stricken 
down with cholera. After a few hours' illness 
he died ; and the next day, his sorrowing parents, 
with Mr. Gayley, brought his body, to place it 
in our burial-ground at Tung-chow. 

Symptoms of cholera speedily developed them- 
selves in Mr. Gayley ; but remedies were 
promptly applied, which we hoped would be suc- 
cessful. He seemed recovering ; but a relapse 
took place, and almost before we realized his 
danger he was taken from us. Many circum- 
stances connected with Mr. Gayley 's death were 
peculiarly afflictive. Mr. Mills and he, besides 
being brothers-in-law, had been, for years, most 



CHOLERA. 393 

intimate and congenial friends ; and they and 
their families had anticipated great happiness in 
being associated in that new and promising sta- 
tion. Mr. Gayley's disposition was amiable 
and lovely ; and he was well qualified for useful- 
ness among the Chinese, to whom he had become 
much attached. His loss was a very great one 
to them, as well as to us and his family. 

Mrs. Gayley was left with two children, — one 
a boy of five or six years, and the other a 
beautiful little girl not two years old. Only 
one week passed, however, before that dear child 
was taken from her. After a few hours' suffer- 
ing, she, too, slept in death. Mrs. Gayley's sis- 
ter, Mrs. Doolittle, was then visiting Tung-chow, 
with her two children, both of whom were ill with 
cholera. One recovered, but the other, after 
lingering several weeks, died. 

There were no other clearly marked cases of 
cholera among the foreigners, but it raged among 
the natives frightfully. From morning until 
night we could hear from neighboring houses 
sounds of weeping and wailing, while new-made 
graves were seen in every direction. It is not 
usual for the Chinese to bury their dead soon 
after their decease ; but among the very poor, or 
in cases of emergency, such, for instance, as 






394 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

the prevalence of cholera during the height of 
summer, it is often done. 

A minute account of the rites and ceremonies 
observed in China, connected with death and 
burial, would necessarily be very lengthy, and 
to most persons tedious. An accurate descrip- 
tion of these and other peculiarities and customs 
can be found in Doolittle's " Social Life of the 
Chinese," where two or three long chapters are 
devoted to " Death, Mourning, and Burial," 
alone. Some of these observances are extraor- 
dinary and inexplicable; others, again, are quite 
rational and proper. 

There is a great deal of noisy demonstration 
both at the time of death and at prescribed in- 
tervals until the burial has taken place, and for 
weeks afterwards. They have no one ceremony 
corresponding to our funeral services ; but in 
place of them there are chantings and idolatrous 
performances by either Buddhist or Tauist 
priests. Gongs, fire-crackers, and most doleful 
music, loud weeping, and the customary wailings, 
all combine to prevent a funeral occasion from 
being solemn, or, in most instances, even sad. I 
believe it is considered an accomplishment to 
know how to ( ' wail ' ' properly ; and if this con- 
sists in being able to counterfeit the sounds and 



CHOLERA. 395 

semblance of deepest woe, success in the art is 
often attained. I cannot tell the number of 
times in which I have been completely imposed 
upon, and allowed my sympathy to be aroused 
quite unnecessarily. One day, in Tung-chow, 
as we were passing a house, a funeral procession 
emerged from it. Half a dozen large mats had 
been spread on the ground before the door. 
Presently twenty or thirty women came out, 
all dressed in sackcloth from head to foot. 
Half of them, probably the near relatives, 
knelt on the mats, bowing towards the coffin, 
until their heads touched the ground. They 
were all weeping and wailing bitterly. One in 
particular seemed in a paroxysm of grief. " 
my father ! my father ! " she cried at the top 
of her voice. There is real, uncontrollable grief, 
thought I, while my heart ached in sympathy. 
But just then, at a given signal from the master 
of ceremonies, her voice and every other was 
hushed ; their distorted features resumed their 
usual placidity, and all appearance of sorrow 
disappeared. A large red canopy was held over 
the coffin, which, accompanied by the male friends 
and relatives of the deceased, was carried off to 
the grave. The women, after following it a few 
steps, all returned very quietly to their dwelling. 



396 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

In this case, I think it had been weeks, if not 
months, since the death occurred. 

I do not wish to give the idea that the Chi- 
nese are heartless. I do not consider them so ; 
but I think their deepest grief is not often man- 
ifested on these public occasions. 

But to return to Tung-chow, and the sad 
events occurring there. In the absence of any 
physician we prepared quantities of medicine, 
and gave it freely to all who desired it ; and we 
had the satisfaction of knowing that in many 
instances it proved efficacious. There was a 
little herdsboy employed by us to lead away 
our cows to pasture on the hill-side, and watch 
them there. One day he was absent, and on 
inquiring for him we found that he was ill, — so 
ill that his friends had laid him out to die, 
thinking he was past hope of recovery. We 
sent him medicine with all haste, and it had so 
rapid an effect that in a few hours he was out 
of danger. 

A man whom we had just engaged as a ser- 
vant in our family, being attacked with cholera, 
was determined to return at once to his home in 
the country, miles distant. A mule-litter was 
procured for him. As he was about starting, a 
fellow-townsman who was Mrs. Gayley's servant 



CHOLERA. 897 

came to him, desirous of sending a message to 
his family, informing them of his own continued 
health. A few moments after, he was attacked 
with cholera in its most dreadful form. His suf- 
ferings were past description ; and before the 
message to his family could have been received 
he was a corpse. 

I think Mr. Hartwell's teacher and servants 
were all ill ; but, owing perhaps to early remedies 
and most faithful nursing, they all recovered. 
We had no other cases of cholera in our own fam- 
ily: and, notwithstanding all our anxiety and 
grief for the loss of so many valued friends and 
associates, we continued through the whole of 
that trying time quite as well as usual. 

I have not mentioned the arrival of Dr. and 
Mrs. McCartee, and Mr. and Mrs. Green from 
Ningpo, and Mr. Smith and his little daughter 
from Yentai, whom we had the pleasure of wel- 
coming, a few days after Mr. Gayley's death, to 
the Kwan-yin tang. In order to accomodate 
them Mr. Nevius' study and the dining-room 
had to be turned into guest-chambers, and we 
dined in pleasant weather on the veranda, at 
other times in the parlor. The society of these 
dear friends was more than sufficient to compen- 



398 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

sate for some trifling changes in our household 
arrangements. 

Mr. and Mrs. Green's little son had been ill 
for a long time, and they brought him North, 
hoping a change of climate might benefit him. 
It was, however, too late for any such favorable 
result. One night, only a week after they came 
to us, while all — even his parents — slept, 

"An angel with an amaranthine wreath, 

Pausing, descended, and, with voice divine, 
Whispered a word that had a sound like Death, 

u There fell upon the house a sudden gloom, 
\ A shadow on those features fair and thin ; 
And softly from that hushed and darkened room 
Two angels issued, where but one went in." 

When the morning dawned, " Little Willie " 
was no longer with us. 

After the cholera had abated at Tung-chow, it 
still lingered in neighboring cities and villages. 
In the southern ports there is usually more or 
less cholera every summer. There were many 
cases in Shanghai during the summer of 1862. 
It was then that the lamented Mr. Culbertson 
died of that disease ; but I never, while there, 
heard of its sweeping over the country as a gen- 
eral and fatal epidemic, as in the West, or other 
parts of China. 






CHOLERA. 399 

I think there was a similar visitation of it in 
the North twenty or thirty years ago, but none 
had occurred since: and I do not know that 
we would be more liable to it there than in this 
country. 

The Greens were with us until the middle of 
September, when they returned to Ningpo. The 
McCartees remained a few weeks longer, and 
then removed to Che-foo, where they had decided 
to locate. 

Early in October Mrs. Gayley left China. It 
was with deep regret that we bade her farewell, 
for she was a much esteemed and congenial mis- 
sionary associate. 

The news of Mr. Gayley's death reached 
Shanghai just as Mr. Culbertson was breathing 
his last. 






400 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



CHAPTER XV. 

WORK AMONG WOMEN IN TUNG-CHOW. 

During the warmest weather of summer, 
especially while cholera was prevailing, mis- 
sionary work was naturally much interrupted. 
However, I found myself becoming familiar with 
the dialect ; and, after we had settled down again 
in a quiet routine of daily work, I began a 
course of visiting among the native families, 
either our near neighbors, or others somewhat 
remote. Of some of these visits, and of vari- 
ous incidents occurring from day to day, I kept 
a record in my journal. On the seventeenth of 
October I wrote as follows : ' ' After studying 
with my teacher, and arranging for dinner, I 
took my good washerman Futang (who is, 
we think, a sincere Christian), and went out 
to make some calls on our nearest neighbors. 
Turning up a long, narrow lane, and entering a 
small court, a woman saw us and came out to 
invite us to her room. The only vacant chair was 



WORK AMONG WOMEN IN TUNG-CHOW. 401 

given me, and after seating myself I began the 
conversation by the usual inquiry, ' What is 
your honorable name ? ' c Kong, ' she replied ; 
'what is yours?' 'Nee,' I said. Then fol- 
lowed the customary questions, ' How old are 
you ? How many children have you ? ' etc., etc. 
In the meanwhile her co-lodgers had gathered 
in, in all six or eight persons. After talking 
some time myself, I requested Futang to explain 
more fully the truths of our religion. He spoke 
beautifully, with great animation, and just to the 
point. 

11 Going from here, an open door, with two young 
women peeping out from behind it, seemed, I 
thought, an indication that I ought to enter. 
So I spoke to the young women, saying that as 
I was a neighbor, I had come for a friendly call, 
and would have done so sooner had my health 
allowed. A few kind words are generally 
enough to gain me a cordial welcome anywhere, 
and in a few moments my new acquaintances and 
I are chatting like old friends. But here not 
an answering smile could I gain. The older 
woman of the family looked like an icicle, and 
the others were not much better. They seemed 
very unhappy among themselves; and I sus- 
pected their coldness towards me originated in 
26 






402 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

that cause, rather than in intentional rudeness. 
I would have remained longer with them, only 
that the room where we were sitting was so full 
of tobacco-smoke that I could scarcely breathe. 
1 ' I was about going to a house a little distance 
from there, on the same side of the street, but 
' a lion in the way,' in the shape of a fierce 
barking dog, frightened me off, I confess it, 
and I entered a doorway opposite. Here a nice- 
looking old lady made her appearance, and cor- 
dially invited me in. I loved her at once, she 
looked so like a dear old ' home grandmother ; ' 
all except her soiled, torn dress. And oh, what 
would a tidy old American lady say to the con- 
fusion of the room into which she led me ? The 
' kang ' was covered with garments, upon which 
they were engaged in sewing. A bench at one 
side was covered by jars containing grain of 
some sort in process of fermentation, the odor 
from which was very disagreeable ; while crocks 
and earthen vessels of various descriptions were 
scattered promiscuously, without the least at- 
tempt at order, and everything was dusty and 
untidy. Notwithstanding all this, I had a pleas- 
ant visit ; the old woman was very ready to lis- 
ten, while her replies showed that she really 
understood what she heard. Her daughter-in- 






WORK AMONG WOMEN IN TUNG-CHOW. 403 

law also appeared nicely. I invited them to 
come and see me, and promised to visit them 
again soon. 

' ' At the next house we had also a rather en- 
couraging visit. I noticed, standing on a kind 
of dressing-table, two cases containing each six 
little idols, prettily dressed and painted. They 
looked exactly like dolls. I asked if they were 
in the habit of worshipping them. Not know- 
ing that I would disapprove of it, they promptly 
answered, ' Yes.' I told them that in our 
country we had little figures precisely like 
those, for young children to play with, but we 
would never dream of worshipping them. And 
then I explained to them that our object in liv- 
ing in their midst was to urge them to forsake 
their senseless idols, and learn to love the Lord 
their Maker and Saviour. My voice had already 
nearly given out, so I allowed Futang to do the 
most of the talking. When we came away from 
this place we left several books, as we had also 
at each of the other houses." 

I was greatly pleased with Futang. Though 
only an ordinary servant, with scarcely any edu- 
cation, he was just what I needed in these visits 
among the women. According to Chinese ideas, 
it was quite proper that I should be thus accom- 









404 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

panied. I was careful to discourage his as- 
suming any consequential airs on account of 
being made so much of a preacher, and I do not 
think it injured him. 

I had a call that same afternoon from two 
women who lived near the Kwan-yin tang. One 
of them was very old ; the other worried con- 
stantly because "she had so many children she 
did not know what to do." The first-mentioned 
came to see me very often. She had a way of 
groaning, or rather grunting, the whole time, I 
think from habit merely, as she did not seem 
ill. She had gained in consequence the very 
inelegant sobriquet, "The old grunter." 

Lin sin-sang, who was then in mission employ, 
and Ning-kwe, the Ningpo assistant, returned 
that evening from a three weeks' tour in the 
country. They had met with a good deal of en- 
couragement, and seemed to have been very 
laborious and faithful. 

The next day, after the usual Sabbath ser- 
vices were over, as I was teaching my woman, 
and the young wife of one of the native con- 
verts, — we were conversing about idol-worship, 
which they both condemned as at once senseless 
and useless, — Foh-hyi sao (literally, sister-in- 
law Foh-hyi) said, "I never worshipped idols, 






WORK AMONG WOMEN IN TUNG-CHOW. 405 

even before I heard of the religion of Jesus." 
"Why not?" I asked. " Because I did not 
like them." "But," I further inquired, "if 
you did not believe in your own religions, what 
did you believe ; who did you think had given 
you your being?" "I did not think at all," 
was her honest confession. This thoughtlessness, 
I imagine, is the strongest of all reasons why 
the poor creatures seem so contented in their 
ignorance. 

I used occasionally, when I had particular 
families in view who lived at a distance from the 
Kwan-yin tang, to ride a donkey, Futang ac- 
companying me ; and once or twice, after some 
other visits had been paid, I went to his house, 
which was in a remote part of the city. It sur- 
prised me to see how differently he appeared 
there from what he did at our house. He said 
nothing amiss, but his manner was decidedly 
lordly. 

One day, when Futang's engagements were 
such that he could not accompany me, I took my 
ah-m, Tsu sao-sao (that is, sister-in-law of the 
Tsu family), as she was called by the natives. 
As we were leaving the first house, where noth- 
ing had occurred worth mentioning, a little girl 
came to us, and very politely asked us to go and 






406 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

see her mother, who lived next door. The 
mother informed me, the first sentence I uttered, 
(which was simpl y, ' ' Ni hao ma?" equivalent 
to "How do you do?") that she could not un- 
derstand a word I said. But I seated myself on 
the side of the kang, and began talking; and 
she did understand, in spite of herself. " I do 
so want you to believe what we tell you about 
Jesus," said I. "Why, of course I believe; 
why shouldn't I?" she replied. She and I 
evidently had different ideas as to what "be- 
lieving" consisted in; but she was simple- 
minded and well-disposed, and it was a pleas- 
ure to talk with her. 

Across the same court were two women, one 
named Liang, and the other Li. I went to 
Mrs. Liang's room first. I remembered her as 
a person whom I had seen before, and it pleased 
her to find that she was recognized. In the 
course of our conversation, I was explaining 
how we poor mortals are constantly sinning; 
and thus, as every sin deserves a punishment, 
how much we need a Saviour. Said I, " Every 
time we get angry, we are guilty of sin." 
"Why," exclaimed Mrs. Liang, "lam angry 
all the time ! I scarcely think that can be sin." 
Afterwards, as I was telling them that at death 



WORK AMONG WOMEN IN TUNG-CHOW. 407 

good people go to heaven, while the wicked 
must go to hell, Mrs. Liang shocked me by 
saying, very quietly, "Jam going to hell; I 
wish to." I scarcely knew what to say, but 
replied, " You deserve to go to hell ; but I do 
not think you really desire to." " Yes, I wish 
to go there ; it is the place for me," she insisted. 
"Very well, then," said I, "if that is so, I 
will not talk to you about Jesus ; you must not 
believe in him ; for if you do, you cannot go 
where you say you wish to." I crossed over 
to see Mrs. Li, who was a young and intelligent 
woman. I was pleased to find that she could 
read a little. She was the only one among all 
these common people who knew anything of 
letters. I was already too tired to talk much, 
so I remained here only a short time. As I was 
coming out I met Mrs. Liang again, and said to 
her, ' ' How could you say you wished to go to 
that fearful place of punishment ? " To which 
she replied, " I have no children ; my sons are 
dead; why should I care to live longer?" 
"But," said I, " I have no children either, yet 
I have no such feelings as you have expressed." 
" Oh," she exclaimed, "your situation is as dif- 
ferent from mine as heaven is from earth. You 
have clothes to wear, food to eat, and a home. 



408 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

Just think of me ! What have I to live for?" 
I did so pity the woman. She did not ap- 
pear to be extremely poor, but seemed so deso- 
late and despairing. I do not think she meant 
more by her reckless language, than simply to 
say that she would rather die than live. Now 
that her children were dead, she could imagine 
no place more miserable than this world was to her. 

On the twentieth of October Dr. and Mrs. Mc- 
Cartee left for Yentai, after having been with us 
for three months. We missed them sadly ; for 
their sojourn with us had been a most pleasant 
episode. As, however, they were only going to 
Ohe-foo, sixty miles distant, we still considered 
each other as " neighbors." 

About this date there were several additions 
to our church, among them, my woman Tsu sao- 
sao. She had been with me nearly a year, but 
for the first few months I could not feel very 
hopeful of her becoming a Christian. What 
first gave me much encouragement about her 
was finding that she had been active in spreading 
a knowledge of Christianity among her friends 
and relatives. The day of her baptism she said 
to me, quite of her own accord, " Nee S-meo 
(Mrs. N.), my heart is very joyful. At night, 
upon my bed, I lie awake and think of Jesus, 



WORK AMONG WOMEN IN TUNG-CHOW. 409 

and his great goodness in bringing me to a 
knowledge of himself, and in allowing me to 
receive baptism and become his disciple. How 
can I be thankful enough ! I am certainly in- 
expressibly happy." She seemed to have sin- 
cere and unusual faith in prayer. I found that 
she had been teaching her neighbors very liter- 
ally that whatever they asked for in faith they 
would assuredly receive. And her teachings met 
with a striking confirmation. A woman living 
within the same enclosure, whose room was next 
hers, was longing for the return of her husband, 
who had been absent from home seven years. 
Tsu sao-sao advised her to ask the " True God " 
to send him back. And sure enough, a few days 
later he returned. 

Tsu sao-sao, although I think she was a sin- 
cere Christian, gave me in various ways a good 
deal of trouble. She was of rather too respect- 
able a class to feel contented in her situation as 
a servant ; and after a time I concluded that it 
would be better for both of us that she should 
return to her home. She is now dead. Mr. 
Mills, who wrote to us of her illness and death, 
felt hopeful of her ; and I do trust that she is 
now where " faith is lost in sight." 

Late in the autumn of 1862, I commenced a 









410 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

small school for girls. I had at first only two 
pupils, and they were daughters of church-mem- 
bers. One, the younger and pleasanter, was 
Hyiang-yuing, adopted child of Chang, my 
teacher; the other, Tsing-hyiang, was the 
daughter of a man usually called " Oil Wang," 
his occupation being that of peddling oil. I had 
also, for several weeks, the wife of an old church- 
member, named Cheo, staying with me. I 
think I scarcely ever met any one else who had 
so few ideas. She was not very aged, certainly 
not over seventy, but her memory was so impaired 
that she would forget nearly as fast as she 
learned. But the poor old lady was really de- 
sirous to understand "the religion/' and I was 
determined that, if she did not, it should certainly 
be no fault of mine. She was a whole week in 
learning the one verse, " Thou shalt love the 
Lord thy God with all thy heart," etc. I com- 
posed a short and simple prayer, suited as I 
thought to her capacity ; but she was more than 
a week in learning the first half dozen sen- 
tences. It was both amusing and pitiable to see 
her engaged in study, sitting on the kang, with 
her prayer spread open before her. She would point 
with her poor withered finger to character after 
character, highly delighted with every successful 






WORK AMONG WOMEN IN TUNG-CHOW. 411 

effort to call them to mind, and equally vexed 
when memory failed her and she found both 
word and meaning gone from her. I have no- 
ticed her many a time raise her clenched fist and 
strike her own forehead a hard blow, determined 
that if there were any virtue in beating, to 
quicken a dormant memory, she would not be 
deprived of it. I expended a great deal of time 
and patience upon her; and the two girls, 
Hyiang-yuing and Tsing-hyiang, also taught 
her faithfully. She had line upon line. At 
last our exertions were signally rewarded. After 
weeks of drilling, she could repeat the whole 
prayer, understanding it fully. She knew also 
a great deal of Bible history, and we thought 
she perfectly comprehended the plan of salva- 
tion through Christ. Her husband had always 
represented her to me as stupid beyond any pos- 
sibility of learning anything ; and I shall never 
forget his astonishment when he found his mis- 
take. He was in the parlor one day, and I sent 
for Mrs. Cheo ; the time for the grand exhibi- 
tion having arrived. I was fearful that the sight 
of her lord might frighten away all her hard- 
earned knowledge, and I think it would, had I 
allowed him to speak to her. But I began in a 
very quiet way, asking her such questions as I 






412 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

felt sure she could not have forgotten, and she 
gradually gained confidence, until her display of 
erudition surprised even me. We went over the 
story of the Creation, the Fall, with some allu- 
sions to various Old Testament characters, then 
on to the New, our Saviour's birth, his holy 
life and teachings, and finally his death, and 
the object for which he died. At last Mr. Cheo 
could restrain himself no longer, and, striking 
his hands with all his might upon his knees, he 
shouted, " Wonderful ! wonderful ! I never 
could have believed it! Never! Never ! ; ' I 
am not sure but that the old man half thought 
there was something miraculous about it. Mrs. 
Cheo herself was greatly delighted that her 
reputation for hopeless stupidity was in a meas- 
ure removed. I was sorry that she could not 
remain with us longer, for her mind, which had 
been such a blank, seemed waking up, and I 
think she might in time have become an intel- 
ligent Christian. Her husband was a most sin- 
gular character. We thought him in some re- 
spects hardly sane, but he gave evidence of real 
faith in Jesus, and was received by baptism into 
our church in Tung-chow. 

My teacher, Chang, also taught the two girls, 
Tsing-hyiang and Hyiang-yuing, the character, 



WORK AMONG WOMEN IN TUNG-CHOW. 413 

with which they were before unacquainted. Les- 
sons in the Bible I gave them myself. I enjoyed 
instructing them, as they were anxious to learn ; 
and Hyiang-yuing especially was a lovely girl. 
I was one day asking her if she had formerly 
enjoyed going to the temples to worship. She 
replied, " No, not at all." When I inquired 
the reason of her dislike, she said, drawing her- 
self into the attitude of a " graven image," and 
assuming as ugly and repulsive an expression as 
possible, " Oh, the idols looked so ; and I could 
not endure them!" adding, "Mother did not 
like them either ; she said they were only made 
of mud or wood. ' ' Very soon after Hyiang-yuing 
came to us, we felt convinced that she both loved 
and trusted in Jesus as her Saviour. She was 
ever studious, obedient, and amiable, and gave us 
little trouble of any sort. Tsing-hyiang was very 
unlike her. Although a pretty girl, and of a nat- 
urally pleasant disposition, she had been thor- 
oughly spoiled by her parents, who had indulged 
her every whim, and cultivated a spirit of self- 
will and insubordination, which made her a diffi- 
cult pupil to deal with. Still she, too, soon 
gave evidence of a pleasing change of character, 
the result, we hoped, of the influence of the 
Holy Spirit upon her heart. 



414 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

Our second winter confirmed us in our opin- 
ion of the favorable climate of that part of 
Shantung. The weather was almost uniformly 
bright and beautiful, and though colder than 
Ningpo, it really seemed warmer. Snow fell to 
the depth of several inches or a foot, but did 
not lie long, disappearing without any general 
" thaw," such as frequently makes our winters 
in America so disagreeable. The smaller streams 
were all frozen, and ice formed in solid blocks on 
the beach, like huge bowlders, though the sea 
was not frozen, except close to shore. 

Before the close of January, 1862, another 
little grave was made in our fast-filling ceme- 
tery. It was that of an infant daughter of Mr. 
and Mrs. Hartwell, who died, it was supposed, 
from the effects of cholera, which she had 
months before while it was prevailing in Tung- 
chow. 

Although my health during tins winter was 
not good, I was able, with some interruptions, to 
continue my ordinary duties, teaching the pupils, 
visiting the women, and studying the written 
language, which was so engrossing that I was 
constantly tempted to confine myself too closely 
to it. 

In our instruction of pupils and inquirers, we 









WORK AMONG WOMEN IN TUNG-CHOW. 415 

felt the want of a catechism in Mandarin, and 
I was glad to be able to put my newly acquired 
knowledge of the character to account in pre- 
paring one. It was not a translation, as I knew 
of none which was exactly what we needed ; 
some being too simple, and others, like the 
" Shorter Catechism," much too profound for 
women or children, who had not been previously 
instructed. Mine began with such questions as 
were comprehensible to the most ignorant, but 
soon" passed on to subjects from the Bible, em- 
bracing a compendium of both Old and New 
Testament history, the fundamental and essen- 
tial doctrines of the Christian system, and ex- 
planations of church ordinances and religious 
duties. 

I found it very useful in my own teachings, 
and it has also been used by others in Tung- 
chow, and in other places where Mandarin is 
spoken. 

Before we had made an addition to our house 
of several rooms for the use of the school, the 
pupils learned their lessons with me in my sit- 
ting-room. It was a great relief when I had a 
place for them elsewhere. Like other Chinese 
students, they studied aloud, and the confusion 
was quite too much for me. 



416 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

Mr. Nevius had at that time a class nearly 
every day of the week, either in the Bible or in 
Theology, besides his preparation of books, and 
chapel work, and also his own study of "the 
character," to which he devoted every leisure 
moment, through the day or in the evening. I 
think it was nothing but his habit of systematic 
and regular exercise which enabled him to per- 
form such an amount of work without injury to 
his health. Nearly every afternoon he spent 
about two hours either in long walks in the 
country, or, when I could accompany him, we 
took pleasant horseback rides over the hills, or 
on the sea-beach ; which, by the way, is the 
most interesting feature of Tung-chow. At 
high tide, a ride on the beach is impracticable, 
but when the water is low we have a wide space 
nearly as hard and smooth as a floor. Many a 
gallop have we had there close to the water's 
edge. Our horses seemed nearly as much re- 
freshed and animated as ourselves by the fresh 
sea-breezes, as away we cantered at a gait any- 
thing but slow. I was sorry, indeed, when in- 
creasing poor health obliged me to relinquish 
this almost our only enjoyable recreation. 

My husband with much trouble had procured 
for me a capital horse. Dinah, as I named her, 






WORK AMONG WOMEN IN TUNG-CHOW. 417 

became a great favorite with all the foreign 
ladies. She was a well-formed animal, very fleet, 
and kind and gentle in the extreme. She had 
been taught, before we had her, to ask for food 
by raising her fore-foot and neighing, until it 
was brought her. She soon learned that I could 
never resist her entreaties ; and no sooner did 
she see me than the foot would be raised, and a 
call seemed to say, "Please, ma'am, bring me 
some beans, or corn, or something else nice to 
eat ! " She became rather tyrannical, but re- 
paid me fully by pacing so fast on the beach 
that my husband's more clumsy animal would 
have to gallop at full speed to keep up with us. 
Besides the visits which I have already de- 
scribed among my neighbors and other poor fam- 
ilies, while we were living in Tung-chow, I made 
a successful effort to reach a different class of 
individuals. It would be as much a transgres- 
sion of the rules of etiquette which prevail 
among the upper classes in China to venture to 
pay a visit without a previous invitation, or, at 
least, without having first announced our inten- 
tion, as such a course would be in this country. 
Accordingly, when I wished to call upon the 
ladies in the family of an officer or wealthy per- 
son, I first sent a servant to inquire whether 

27 



418 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

such a visit would be acceptable. Sometimes, 
when I had not taken that precaution, I had my 
sedan put down outside a door, while the same 
message was sent in to the ladies ; and, upon re- 
ceiving an invitation to enter, would at once do 
so. In making these visits, I always went in a 
sedan, accompanied by a servant. To have gone 
to such places on foot, or unattended, would have 
been regarded by the persons visited as treating 
them with disrespect, and would have weakened 
my influence with them, if it did not prevent 
my seeing them at all. 

I scarcely need say that' I took care, in all 
these visits, to be dressed in a suitable manner. 

I found the ladies in the officers' families, as 
also in those of the more wealthy private citizens, 
very affable and well disposed. 

I had always to satisfy their curiosity by al- 
lowing them to examine most thoroughly my 
dress, my hair, bonnet, gloves, and shoes ; and I 
in turn made any remarks I pleased upon their 
costume. I did not dislike this, as it was a 
good way of getting acquainted, and took off 
the- stiffness of a first meeting. We always 
asked each other names and ages, and many 
questions about our families, and, these over, we 
slid very naturally into talking about the object 






WORK AMONG WOMEN IN TUNG-CHOW. 419 

of our living in China, the evils of idolatry, 
and our earnest desire that they should embrace 
the religion of Jesus. They usually ^assented 
to what I said, and sometimes exhibited a good 
deal of interest, though I do not know of any 
lasting impressions being made. Here, as in 
similar efforts among the poor, we could only do 
what we felt was duty, leaving the result 
with God. Possibly eternity may reveal some 
good effects, of which we, at the time, were not 
aware. I never felt discouraged in that partic- 
ular branch of my work ; on the contrary there 
is nothing that I look forward to with more 
pleasure, on my return to China, than again en- 
gaging in it wherever we may happen to be sta- 
tioned. 

The houses of even wealthy Chinese are not 
at all pleasant, according to our Western ideas. 
The absence of carpets, sofas, easy-chairs, and 
the like, gives them a very cheerless, comfortless 
aspect. They are clean as compared with the 
houses of the poor, and are often large and 
well built, containing plenty of furniture, such 
as it is, — tables, hard chairs, tea-poys, orna- 
mented scrolls on the walls, etc., but very little 
that is really pretty or graceful. In Tung-chow 
the rich, as well as the poor, sleep on the hangs ; 






420 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

but the former have handsome bedspreads, or 
thickly wadded quilts, and plenty of nice pil- 
lows, while the poor, of course, have nothing of 
this sort but what is absolutely necessary. 

The daily employments of Chinese ladies of 
wealth or rank are very different from those 
of persons in their stations in other countries. 
No delightful drives, fascinating novels, morn- 
ing visits, or engrossing fancy work ; no milli- 
ners nor dress-makers, nor exciting shopping ex- 
peditions, steal away their hours. Fine equi- 
pages and drives they have never dreamed of. 
They manage to substitute embroidery in some 
cases, for other fancy-work, and as for books, 
never having known the pleasures of reading, 
they do not feel the want of them. And if they 
do lose something by not having books to read, 
they also gain something by not having them 
to write; which I realize more fully than 
I did before I commenced this narrative of " Our 
Life in China." As I have remarked elsewhere, 
much of a Chinese lady's time is taken up in 
making her toilet, more still in chit-chat, and in 
many families by games of chance ; and not a 
little time and thought are expended in the selec- 
tion of materials for dress, articles of jewelry, 






WORK AMONG WOMEN IN TUNG-CHOW. 421 

etc., which are sent from the shops to the house, 
for their inspection before purchasing. 

Elderly women often do a good deal of sewing 
and attend to the lighter duties of house-keeping, 
which, together with a general oversight of all 
the sons and daughters-in-law, and their chil- 
dren, furnishes them with enough occupation to 
prevent them suffering from ennui. 

The mother or grandmother of a large family 
in China feels herself a very queen, and acts 
accordingly. Even her liege lord, to whom she 
is bound, theoretically, to show such deference, 
seldom cares to dispute her sway. And the 
luckless daughters-in-law are subject to the 
double tyranny of their husband and his mother. 
" Passive obedience and unconditional submis- 
sion " must be their rule of action from the day 
of their marriage, until, in turn, having arrived 
at the dignity of grandmothers themselves, and 
being freed from further restraint, they revenge 
themselves for all they may have suffered in 
former times, by severity to their own daughters- 
in-law. But, to do them justice, I must say 
that there are many cases of sincerest affection 
between the different members of Chinese fami- 
lies ; many more than could be expected, con- 
sidering the way in which their marriages are 



422 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

arranged. I may not have mentioned that be- 
trothals are all made without consulting the 
parties most interested, and in many cases while 
they are still young children. A bride and 
groom have very seldom even a passing glimpse 
of each other, before marriage. 






CHINESE NEW-YEAR. 423 



CHAPTER XVI. 

TSING-WAN-TS. — VIEWS OF MISSIONARY WORK. 
— ABSURD RUMORS. 

The Chinese do not divide their year, as we 
do, into an unvarying number of months and 
days. It is composed of lunar months, which, 
in order to keep the ' ' wheels of time ' ' running 
smoothly, obliges them to insert every few years 
an additional or intercalary month. 

The new-year holidays are observed in China 
more generally than in any other country in the 
world. The closing days of the old year are 
devoted to preparations for the new. Business 
affairs are settled, debts are paid, fine clothes are 
either purchased or hired, and edibles in profu- 
sion are prepared for the entertainment of guests 
in the coming season of merry-making. 

During the first few days of the first month 
the male members of the family go abroad to 
present their greetings to relatives and friends 



424 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

After that the women, at least the elderly mar- 
ried ones, are allowed the same privilege. 

It has been truly said that ' * for at least one 
day of the year every Chinaman is a gentleman." 
Even the coolie, who the day before was bearing 
burdens in the street, is suddenly transformed 
into a well-dressed, stately personage, who, with 
a dignified bearing, and sometimes a really grace- 
ful manner, meets his friends with a profound 
salaam, and offers them the congratulations of the 
season. Nearly every person whom you see on 
the street is dressed in silk, satins, or furs, and 
wears a ceremonial cap. The temples are 
thronged on new-year's morning, and through 
the day, by men who perhaps scarcely ever visit 
them except at that time. 

In the year of our Lord 1862 the Chinese 
new year did not occur until the middle of Feb- 
ruary. Mr. Nevius and the other missionaries 
had many calls from gentlemen ; and I and the 
other ladies from women, many of whom, I pre- 
sume, had been hearing of us since we first went 
to Tung-chow, but until then had had no oppor- 
tunity of seeing us. The first who called no 
doubt carried back favorable accounts of their 
reception to their female acquaintances, who in 
turn resolved to satisfy their curiosity by paying 



TSING-WAN-TS. 425 

us a visit also. Of course we exerted ourselves 
to interest and amuse them. I made it a point 
never to allow them to leave without hearing a 
simple exposition of Christianity, making sure 
that they really understood it. Most unfortunate- 
ly I was at that time very unwell, and my voice 
was so weak that it pained me to attempt to use 
it. I was really ill ; and perhaps ought not to 
have undertaken any work whatever. But the 
necessity was so pressing, and the temptation to 
do was so strong, that I persevered, even at the 
cost of permanent injury to my health. My good 
Futang was called from the kitchen at all hours 
to assist me to " talk the doctrine " to my guests; 
and my Christian woman also gave me much as- 
sistance in entertaining and conversing with them. 

They often came in parties of half a dozen or 
more, gayly dressed, and evidently bent upon 
seeing and being seen. They would stay so 
long that before they left I was completely tired 
out, and sometimes ready to cry from mere phys- 
ical exhaustion. 

The most of these visitors having come from 
mere curiosity, when that motive was gone did 
not care to repeat their visits. But among the 
many whose acquaintance I then made, were ten 
or twelve women who seemed truly interested in 






426 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



what they heard of the religion of Jesus. I 
succeeded in forming them into a class which 
came regularly to me for instruction. They 
improved so rapidly, and showed such interest in 
Christianity, that I felt very hopeful of them, and 
was even expecting that at no distant time they 
might be fit subjects for admission to the church. 

The " Prayer" which I had at first prepared 
for the use of old Mrs. Cheo, had been enlarged 
and improved, and printed as a sheet tract in 
Chinese style on blocks. Nearly all the women 
of my class committed it to memory, and seemed 
to take great pleasure in making it their own. 

It might be a matter of surprise to some that 
we did not at once teach these inquirers ' ' Our 
Lord's Prayer." That, however, requires a much 
greater degree of knowledge and faith than per- 
sons who are not yet fully free from the entangle- 
ments of heathenism are capable of. It does not 
seem right to place those holy words in the mouths 
of such as can neither appreciate nor adopt them. 
Later in their religious experience, when they 
have learned to know and love " Our Father who 
is in heaven," they enjoy, no less than ourselves, 
that beautiful and perfect formula for devotion. 

About the first of April, Mr. Nevius and I 
went to the village of Tsing-wan-ts, fifteen miles 



TSING-WAN-TS. 427 

distant, the home of old Mr. and Mrs. Cheo, to 
pay them a long-promised visit. In a letter to 
my sister I wrote from there as follows : ' ' We 
started from Tung-chow yesterday at noon, after 
a busy morning of preparations. I did not have 
a very pleasant ride out. The roads were bad, 
and the mules refractory ; besides I had a very se- 
vere headache. By some misunderstanding J , 

who went on horseback, and my mule drivers 
took different roads, so that I did not have his 
company. 

"This village is situated in a gorge between two 
hills, and the principal street is on the edge of a 
narrow ravine. It is so out of the way that we 
had difficulty in finding it. When within a mile 

from here I met J and old Mr. Cheo coming 

to meet me. 

' ' The rooms we occupy are on the street, sep- 
arated by a court from those of the family. 
There is only the usual earthen floor, and the 
windows are lattice covered with paper. We 
have no fire, but manage to keep warm by wear- 
ing more clothes. The fatigue of yesterday has 
made me quite miserable to-day. Not having 
slept at night, I did not rise at my usual early 
hour. After a late breakfast, taking Futang 
along to help talk, and ciceroned by a very old 






428 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

woman. I went out to make calls. There is but 
this one Christian family in the village, and 
many of the people are opposed to the ' new doc- 
trine.' Mr: Nevius and Mr. Cheo have gone 
off to preach and distribute books in the neigh- 
boring villages. Before they went Mr. Cheo 

told J he would be glad if I would go to a 

certain well-to-do femily, the head of which is a 
man much opposed to Christianity. He said that 
he could not accompany me there himself, but 
my old-woman guide would escort me. We 
made that our first visit. We were well re- 
ceived, the man explaining, very graciously, that 
this old woman was his mother, a younger one 
his wife; this was sister-in-law No. 1, that No. 
2, and so on. Of course I had to undergo a 
pretty thorough inspection; even my old merino 
dress was to them an object of interest. I al- 
lowed Futang to do most of the " preaching," as 
I felt scarcely able to sit up, and not at all equal 
to the effort necessary for speaking in such a place. 
In order to make these people hear we have al- 
most to shout. They have such a habit of raising 
their voices when conversing among themselves, 
that they do not expect to understand us unless 
we do the same. After several other visits of no 
particular interest we returned to Mr. Cbeo's. 



TSING-WAN-TS. 



429 



•' April 6th. — As I was about taking out my 
portfolio for writing, several women called to see 
the stereoscope. We did not bring ours with us 
when we first came out, but old Mr. Cheo had 
told his neighbors about it, and they seemed so 

anxious to see one that when J went into town, 

a day or two since, he brought it back with him. 
The people seem to admire it vastly, though 
they are scarcely able to appreciate it. As I 
write, twenty or more men and boys are standing 
about watching me. A woman writing a letter 
is something of a curiosity in these parts. I can 
endure being gazed at as well as most persons, 
but indeed I do not like it. And when a crowd 
of women, with scores of unwashed, dirty-faced 
children, every one of whom has apparently 
dined on onions or garlics, to judge by their ter- 
ribly offensive breath, comes pressing about me, 
particularly anxious to take my hand, or try on 
my gloves, or to examine my hair, and I am 
morally certain that when they have gone I 
shall find traces of them, in the form of insects, 
too disgusting to mention, adhering to my clothes, 
you will understand how it is that it sometimes 
requires real self-control to keep from rushing 
off to my room and locking myself in. Many 
of the children are in a state of nature, in the 



430 OUR LIFE IX CHINA. 

one sense, at least, of being destitute of a single 
article of clothing. There are other disagree- 
able things which we have to meet in our inter- 
course with them which I could not think of 
mentioning in a letter. When you remember, 

dear M , that I am naturally far from being 

insensible to these peculiar annoyances, you will 
realize that my life is not all play ; and I am 
sure you will give me credit for some fortitude. 
As disagreeable as these things are, I believe I 
have never yet quite lost my patience, nor re- 
pulsed these poor people when they have shown a 
disposition to be friendly. 

••After dinner to-day, while I was lying down 
to rest upon the kang in a little room where we 
sleep, I heard our man Shing-ping, who, though 
not a Christian, is well instructed and very 
hopeful, talking with visitors in this room. He 
related the parable of the 'barren fig-tree,' 
and applied it to them in a very practical way, 
alluding to their having been spared during the 
cholera°season, while so many were cut down by 

it. J had yesterday at morning worship, read 

and explained that parable, and I was glad that 
Shing-ping had appreciated it so well. It is 
beautiful to see how perfectly the parables are 
adapted to the wants of such persons as these. 






VIEWS OF MISSIONARY WORK. 431 

"We have had a very satisfactory visit at Tsing- 
wan-ts, and hope that real good has been accom- 
plished. The villagers, either at their own 
homes, or here at Cheo's house, have \ery gen- 
erally heard the gospel, and we know that Ged's 
word cannot return to him void. Before Mr. 
Nevius went off to his day's work, we read 
together, l In the morning sow thy seed, and in 
the evening withhold not thine hand ; for thou 
knowest not whether shall prosper either this or 
that, or whether they both shall be alike good,' — 
a capital verse for missionaries. Sometimes per- 
sons seem so very unlikely to appreciate the 
truth that we are tempted to refrain from speak- 
ing to them, when perhaps they, who are appar- 
ently the most hopeless, are the i chosen ones ' 
who will receive it 'into good and honest 

hearts.' I am, dear M , more and more 

thankful that our lives are given to this cause. 
So far from the ' romance ' having worn off, as 
you remember so many of our friends prophesied 
it would, this, our life-work, becomes every year 
more interesting and satisfying. The changes 
we have passed through of late have made us 
realize more than ever that this world is only a 
'pilgrimage,' and it is such a comfort to know 
that we are engaged in employments which will 



432 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

tell on eternity. You, I am sure, will believe 
me sincere when I say that I would not ex- 
change our life, so quiet, so obscure, — more than 
that, so unappreciated by some whose sympathy 
I should value, — for any position offering mere 
worldly pleasures. You will think I have lost 
all ambition ; it is hardly that, but my ambition 
has, I feel, a better object. I never was more 
desirous than now of undertaking and perform- 
ing something really worth the effort. That ac- 
complished, I think I should be quite willing to ' lay 
me down to sleep,' even here in this wilderness, — 

" < My name and my place and my tomb all forgotten, 
The brief space of time well and patiently run; 
So would I pass away, peacefully, silently, 
Only remembered by what I have done.' 

" There is not the least hardship to me in work. 
I enjoy it far more than rest ; but it is inexpres- 
sibly trying to see so many opportunities for 
usefulness which my limited strength will not al- 
low me to take advantage of. There is work here, 
not only for men, but for women as well. When I 
think how many ladies there are in America, who, 
if they would, might come and help us, I feel very 
sadly, sometimes, I fear, almost indignant." 

Since I have been at home in the United 
States, I have realized more fully than ever be- 






VIEWS OF MISSIONARY WORK. 433 

fore that there are many ladies, some in almost 
every church, who could well be spared to go 
where they are so much more needed. I do not 
mean that a person suitable to engage in the 
missionary work would not be "missed" from 
her circle at home. On the contrary, I 
hope no one will go abroad, professedly to 
engage in that service, whose absence would not 
be felt at home. But when a well-qualified 
person breaks away from the duties which have 
hitherto occupied her here, from a conscientious 
regard for her own personal duty to the heathen, 
or rather, in obedience to the Great Head of the 
Church, others will come forward to take her 
place, stimulated perhaps to greatly increased 
activity by her faithfulness and devotion. Such 
ought to be the case, and I think it usually is. 
How a gifted and pious young lady of mature 
years, who has not home duties to bind her here, 
can settle down contentedly to a life of ease or 
inactivity without ever once asking herself the 
question whether she may not have imperative 
duties elsewhere, I do not understand. I can 
even go a step further : I feel sure that many 
ladies as well as gentlemen who are most useful 
here, working earnestly from day to day, would 
be still more useful in heathen lands. Here 

28 






434 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

they are lights among innumerable other lighta 
perhaps as luminous as they; there they are 
solitary lights in a dark place, — how dark per- 
haps only we who have lived enveloped in its 
gloom can realize. 

Some Christians in this country seem to take 
pleasure, almost, in the idea that " there are 
heathen at home; no need to go to China to find 
them." If it is a fact that there are real 
heathen in our midst, it is a shame and disgrace 
to our churches. But there are no heathens 
here, in the proper sense of that term, none who 
might not, if they would, become acquainted 
with Christianity. Churches, chapels, mission 
and Sunday schools, are found everywhere, and 
all who will may " come and take of the water 
of life freely." How different the condition of 
the poor, degraded idol-worshippers of India and 
China ! I think no right-minded person would 
be so disingenuous as to class together those 
whose situations are so opposite. It is certainly 
paying a poor compliment to our enlightened 
country to profess to believe that, religiously, it 
is not much superior to those lands where dark- 
ness, superstition, and heathenism, with all theii 
attendant miseries, still reign unbroken. Thai 
latent dislike (for it is nothing else) to the 



VIEWS OF MISSIONARY WORK. 



435 



foreign missionary cause, which exists in the 
hearts of many professed Christians, is a mys- 
tery which I cannot fathom. I wonder, indeed, 
if it is possible that a true disciple of Christ, as 
he listens to that last solemn command, " Go ye 
into all the world and preach the Gospel to every 
creature," can respond in actions, sometimes al- 
most in words, "No, Lord, I will not go myself, 
nor will I send others ; and if any one wishes to 
go, I will, just as far as in me lies, discourage 
and dishearten him or her ; and if they who 
have gone profess to have accomplished thy pur- 
poses, and won souls to thee, I will, whenever 
opportunity offers, speak detractingly of their 
labors, and impugn their motives." 

How I wish I might be mistaken in believing 
that there are many professed Christians who 
entertain such feelings ! 

But we know that, in whatever light our 
efforts may be regarded by individuals, either 
in the church or out of it, the Saviour himself 
loves the work, and sympathizes with those who, 
from love to him, have gone to engage in it. So also 
I think, must all they who are "one with Christ." 

It would be very ungrateful in me not to 
acknowledge most heartily the many tokens of 
kindness which we have received simply as mis- 



436 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

sionaries from those whose messengers we love 
to consider ourselves. 

I think it would be far better for Christians at 
home, and not less for us missionaries, if there 
were some way of bringing us nearer together. 
So little is known of missionaries, or their em- 
ployments, that it is not strange they should 
sometimes be misunderstood. We would like to 
feel that we are watched, not censoriously, but 
sympathizingly and intelligently, by those who 
really care whether or not we are successful. 
Perhaps some of us .need just such an incentive 
to earnest labor. Missionaries, I need not say, 
are by no means perfect men or women, and it 
would not be strange if they should sometimes 
sleep when they ought to be awake, or rest when 
they ought to work, or, as is more often the case, 
work when they ought to rest. I do not think 
the effect would be bad upon them if they knew 
that many kind and sympathizing, but keen and 
watchful eyes were bent upon them to see that 
their duties are done and well done. 

I am glad to feel that a juster appreciation of 
the importance of the work of foreign missions 
is gaining ground in the church. The romantic 
enthusiasm which was felt in the earliest mis- 
sions has long since been dissipated, but as its 



VIEWS OF MISSIONARY WORK. 



437 



real claims become better known, I think the 
lost interest will be revived, and perhaps a 
more healthy sentiment, and more lasting, will 
be substituted. "Why! the early missionaries 
used to live in bark houses ; and were in dan- 
ger of losing their lives ; and had great difficulty 
in getting food to eat," I heard a good old 
Christian say; and she added honestly, " Mis- 
sionaries nowadays do not have such sufferings 
to encounter, and I no longer feel the same 
sympathy for them." Her interest of old had 
been in the " sufferings of the missionaries," 
rather than in the success of the cause of Christ 
among the heathen ; and when, as she supposed, 
there was no further need of sympathy on the 
ground of personal suffering, she ceased to care 
for the missionaries or their work at all. Per- 
haps the sooner that sort of fictitious inter- 
est in the cause of missions has quite disap- 
peared the better. 

When I had read the above to a dear young 
friend, who, by the way, is expecting to accom- 
pany me, before long, to our missionary home in 
China, she remarked, "Mrs. Nevius, I wish, 
if you could just as well as not, you would say 
something to ministers." " Why should I 
say anything to ministers?" I asked. "Oh! 



488 OUB. LIFE IN CHINA. 

if they would not, when they chance to meet a 
young lady who has determined to become a 
missionary, put on a ' long face ' and draw a 
deep sigh, and remark in such an extremely 
solemn tone, ' It is a great undertaking.' 

" ' Only that and nothing more.' 

"It was so delightful to be met as good Dr. 
met me in New York. I was introduced 



to him as * under appointment as a missionary.' 
He grasped my hand most warmly, and a whole 
volume of kindness and sympathy was in his 
voice, as he exclaimed, ' May the Lord bless 
and keep you ! The Lord will go before you, 
and the Lord of Israel will be your rearward.' 
Oh ! it was so comforting, so encouraging, I felt 
ready to go and work, if need be to suffer, with 
such sympathy and prayers to uphold me ! It 
was so different from the usual disheartening 
formula with which ministers almost always 
meet me nowadays. l So you are thinking of 
being a missionary, are you ? ' ' Yes, sir, I 
am expecting to go to China ! ' ' It is a great 
undertaking? " 

But Miss must excuse me from address- 
ing one word to ministers in particular. They 
certainly cannot be wanting in sympathy for 






VIEWS OP MISSIONARY WORK. 



439 



their Master's own cause, or for their co-laborers 
in his vineyard. Since they, for good reasons. I 
must not doubt, have not been impelled to go them- 
selves to the dark places of the earth, they certainly 
would not intentionally discourage their brothers 
or sisters who have been able to obey the Mas- 
ter's command, " Go ye." Could they know 
how much we value their words of cheer, how 
much they might help us by their counsels or 
reproof, I think we should not so often be al- 
lowed to doubt their sympathy, or to guess it 
only from inference. 

I trust I may be pardoned this long digression 
when I promise it to be the last of this nature ; 
at least, I will try hereafter to confine myself to 
a simple narration of the events of our remain- 
ing years in China. 

About the first of May, 1862, my two school- 
girls, Tsing-hyiang and Hyiang-yuing, together 
with some others, were received by baptism into 
the church. Near the same time, Mr. Hartwell 
had also the pleasure of receiving several addi- 
tions to his church. These events, so favorable 
in themselves, were the occasion of a new and 
most unlooked-for interruption in our hitherto 
prosperous operations. The natives, seeing so 
many persons coming out from heathenism and 



440 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

joining this foreign religion, were startled out 
of their usual apathy. They could not under- 
stand it, and many theories were suggested to 
account for it. At last, some particularly wise 
and discerning persons explained the whole affair 
in a manner satisfactory to all. We foreigners, 
they said, were possessed of a secret by which 
we could gain an irresistible power over 'persona 
who allowed themselves to come under our in- 
fluence. Some averred it was the "evil eye;" 
others that it was witchcraft ; and others, again, 
knew positively that it was by a charm or potion, 
which we mixed with the tea which we gave our 
guests when they came to visit us. This latter 
supposition was confirmed by the fact that many 
who had been known to be unfriendly to us be- 
fore they came to see us, after one visit would 
become our stanch friends. This was inexpli- 
cable except on the supposition of some such 
unholy influence. The reports spread every- 
where, and assumed more alarming shapes. Not 
content with carrying on our iniquitous practices 
on a small scale, they suspected us of insinu- 
ating our charms into the flour used by bakers 
in the city, and even into the wells in private 
families. The business of the bakers suffered 
much from these suspicions ; and the wells on a 



ABSURD RUMORS. 



441 



certain street which we had frequented were 
emptied of their contents and searched. We 
were told that in every case a small red bag 
with a powder of some sort was found in the 
bottom of the well, placed there, probably, by 
the well-cleaners themselves, to whom this panic 
yielded a rich harvest. 

My little school came in for its share of sus- 
picion and dislike. It appeared as unlikely to 
the Tung-chow people that we should be willing 
to spend our lives in efforts to benefit others, 
without some bad motive at the bottom, as it 
does to some people at home. They did not 
suspect us of " going abroad to see the world," 
or choosing that employment because it offered 
attractions for ease and luxury. On the contrary, 
teaching and supporting a school of girls seemed 
to them a very dull, tiresome vocation ; and 
as useless as dull. At last, they found the clue 
to the mystery. We were getting these girls 
together one by one, in a quiet, unostentatious 
way, and, when a large number had been col- 
lected, and they had been sufficiently improved 
by their good living, a foreign ship was coming 
along, and the ill-starred maidens were all to be 
sent off to some distant land, — not to be made 
into opium, but to be used in the preparation of 



442 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

that mysterious " elixir of life," which religion- 
ists of the Tau-ist sect believe has the effect to 
insure perpetual youth. The bodies were to be 
boiled, and from them would be expressed a kind 
of oil, which, when eaten, has marvellous effects. 
I could never get from the natives a very clear 
idea of what they did believe on this subject. I 
suppose, in fact, their own ideas were as confused 
as mine. But they were really frightened, and, 
for a time it was impossible to get any more 
pupils. Our Chinese friends or domestics were 
both amused and annoyed by these reports re- 
specting us. They were also ashamed of their 
own countrymen. When going to and fro from 
my school I could see groups of men, standing 
on a mound which commanded a view of our 
court, watching me to see in what suspicious 
performances I might be engaged. A month or 
two after the visit I have already described, we 
went again to spend a few days at old Mr. 
Cheo's. We found that the villagers of Tsing- 
wan-ts and all that region, who before had shown 
themselves very friendly, were now so afraid of 
us as not to be willing to come near us. As the 
women would no longer visit me, I sent my ali-m 
out to see them as they sat at work under the 
trees. They were so sure that she must herself 






ABSURD RUMORS. 



443 



be my accomplice, and as such might be carry- 
ing round " charms " for their destruction, that 
they insisted upon searching her. Her hand- 
kerchief, which, like other women, she carried 
folded in her hand, they made her unroll before 
them, to see if in its folds some of the mysterious 
medicine might not be secreted. As they gained 
confidence, they crowded about her with many 
questions and rumors. " Why," said they, "a 
woman named ' Li,' from the Hot Springs of 
Wen-shih-tang, went into the city and called up- 
on a certain foreign lady who lives there. From 
that time she has never returned to her home, 
nor been heard from. There is no doubt but 
that she has been sent off to the ' outside country,' 
to be used for no good purpose." The ali-m 
listened patiently until they had finished, when, 
straightening herself up as she stood before 
them with a manner, no doubt dramatic, she 
exclaimed, " I am that woman, — I am Mrs. Li, 
from Wen-shih-tang. I have been shipped to 
the 'outside country,' have I?" She was for 
a moment thoroughly vexed ; but she was a kind 
creature, and, after having so effectually refuted 
one of their silly stories, she spent a long while 
conversing with them, endeavoring to explain 
all the circumstances which had led them, in 



444 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

common with others, to entertain such views of 
the foreign teachers. 

On our way home to Tung-chow we stopped 
at another village to visit a very respectable 
woman who had been to see me at our house, 
and who had seemed somewhat hopeful. I had 
been much interested in her, and was anxious to 
keep up the acquaintance. My sedan was set 
down before the door of her house, and Mr. 
Nevius knocked at the gate. A person opening 
it saw who the visitors were, and slammed to 
the door with an air anything but hospitable. 
In a moment another head appeared, and we 
sent in our request for my acquaintance. I am 
not sure whether she was at home or not ; but a 
message was returned to us that she had been 
absent all day worshipping at a temple in another 
village. A crowd of people collected round, 
and they were evidently not kindly disposed ; but 
we were not molested by them. 

The next day it was reported in the city that Mr. 
Nevius and myself had been seen in the streets 
of the above-mentioned village, searching for 
children, with the design of kidnapping them, 
which had so enraged the villagers that they 
drove us out of Jhe town; and that they had 
determined to come at once to Tung-chow, drive 






ABSURD RUMORS. 



445 



away the foreigners, and kill the native con- 
verts. 

Our situation at that time was not very pleas- 
ant; but we were not much alarmed by the 
threats concerning us. 

It was with deep regret that we found that 
many of those who had before appeared so fa- 
vorably inclined, from this time stood aloof 
from us. Not one of my class of women, in 
whom I had become so interested, ever came 
near me again as an inquirer. I do not think 
it possible that they could themselves have 
believed the absurd stories told of us ; but, 
more likely, their families would not allow them 
to continue their visits. The fact that they had 
been on the point of identifying themselves with 
us, seemed to others " confirmation strong " of 
our power of gaining an unlawful influence over 
the natives. 

In the course of a few weeks this excitement 
passed away ; the absurdity of the reports, after 
men's minds had had time to consider them 
coolly, most effectually worked their own cure. 
Credulous old women, who, perhaps, were the 
first to originate the stories, were also the last 
to disbelieve them. I presume many such will 
vouch for their truth until this day. 



446 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

ILLNESS AND DEATII OF MR. RANKIN. 

About the twentieth of May Mr. and Mrs. 
Rankin and their children, Abby and Sue, with 
Dr. and Mrs. McCartee, reached Tung-chow. 
Mrs. Rankin, on her return from the United 
States some months before, her own health much 
improved, had found Mr. Rankin very unwell. 
The previous year had been a most trying one 
for the missionaries at Ningpo, on account of 
disturbances from the rebels. 

They had captured the city and held posses- 
sion of it a short time, when the Imperialists, 
aided by the English, recovered it. The rebels 
did not molest foreigners, but the natives suffered 
much from them. Our missionaries on the North 
Bank had arranged with the native Christians in 
the city, that, if at any time in particular danger, 
they should toll the bell of the large Fuzin 
church, when, if possible, they would go to their 
assistance. One day, after the rebels had gained 






ILLNESS AND DEATH OF MR. RANKIN. 447 

possession of the city, the bell began tolling, and 
at once Mr. Rankin and Mr. Morrison attempted 
to fulfill their promise and go to the rescue. 
The sentry at the gates allowed them to enter, 
and they passed hastily on to the church, where 
they found all in confusion. The native 
preacher and perhaps others had been seized and 
carried off, and those who remained were natu- 
rally much excited and alarmed. The gentlemen 
with real bravery went through street after street, 
among the various companies of soldiers, until they 
at length found the assistant, and secured his re- 
lease. I do not know what arrangements were 
made for the safety of the converts ; but I remem- 
ber that the missionaries were obliged to seek fre- 
quent interviews with the commanding officers, and 
that there were alarms and excitements without 
end. It was no wonder that the foreign teachers, 
with such a load of responsibility and anxiety for 
others as well as themselves, should have been 
worn out with fatigue. I think they all suffered 
more or less ; and Mr. Rankin was never really 
well after it. His fine constitution received a 
shock from which it never recovered. A disease 
common at Ningpo fixed itself upon him and he 
failed rapidly ; not, however, being obliged to give 



448 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

up all work until shortly before he came to the 
North. 

He was urged to return to the United States ; 
and had he done so at an early stage of his ill- 
ness he might perhaps have recovered ; but like 
many others he waited too long. He knew the 
feelings with which some people in this country 
regard the return of a missionary on account of 
ill-health, and preferred, for this and other rea- 
sons, to remain in China. He hoped also that the 
climate of Shantung, which had benefited others, 
might prove favorable to him. 

Towards evening of the day on which we were 
expecting our friends, Mr. Nevius mounted his 
horse and rode out in the direction of Yentai to 
meet them. He returned soon after, with a mes- 
sage to me from Dr. McCartee to avoid if possi- 
ble exhibiting surprise at Mr. Rankin's altered 
appearance. Had it not been for this I think I 
must have lost my self-control ; for I was very 
weak, and when, a few moments later, the party 
arrived, I was greatly shocked. Could it be that 
that pale and wasted form was our dear old friend 
Mr. Rankin? He was exhausted from the jour- 
ney, and so weak and tottering that he could not 
walk even from the mule-litter to the house, 
without a strong arm around him for support. 



ILLNESS AND DEATH OF MR. RANKIN. 449 

Disease had made sad inroads ; but his mind was 
as clear and his heart as warm and affectionate 
and grateful as ever. 

I had, in my house-keeper's pride, or rather in 
my natural desire to please those who had done 
so much for us, exerted myself to make the old 
temple seem pleasing and attractive. The win- 
dows were all open, and I "studied effect" in 
the arrangement of every article of furniture, 
even to a footstool. It was just at twilight of 
a lovely, mild day, and I am sure the Kwan-yin 
tang never looked more pleasantly. Mr. Rankin 
was delighted ; and I think he never changed his 
opinion of the place. Their rooms, which were 
those Mr. Danforth had before occupied, were 
comfortable and cheerful. The McCartees had 
the ones opposite. Dr. McCartee's discerning 
eye had seen at once the true character of Mr. 
Rankin's disease, and he had scarcely any ex- 
pectation of his recovery. Indeed, it was evi- 
dent to all that his restoration would be almost a 
miracle. Notwithstanding this we could but 
hope that the change might prove beneficial, 
and I trust that it was so in some respects, al- 
though it did not arrest the progress of disease, 
then so firmly seated. He became weaker and 
weaker, and our hopes grew fainter. Though 

29 






450 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

perfectly aware of his danger, and fully resigned 
to God's will should he remove him speedily from 
earth, he never relinquished his hope of recovery. 
Life was very dear to him. He wished to live 
that he might accomplish much in his Master's 
service. I never knew an illness of so danger- 
ous a character as free from intense suffering 
either in body or mind; or, if he suffered, he 
was so patient and uncomplaining that we were 
seldom aware of it. I love to think of those few 
weeks in our last summer at Tung-chow. T was 
most of the time too unwell myself to go from 
home ; and when for an hour at evening the other 
members of the family were all absent, either 
walking or riding, I would sit with our dear in- 
valid. Many pleasant, quiet chats we thus en- 
joyed. In reviewing his missionary life he was, 
as I thought, sometimes a little desponding, and 
I tried to cheer him by calling to mind his inces- 
sant activity. On one such occasion I remember 
his replying, " Ah, yes, I have been busy, very 
busy ; indeed I fear that I have been rather a 
busy, than a faithful laborer." He loved to talk 
of his beautiful home in America ; of his brothers 
and sisters, and of his aged father and mother, — 
that mother who, as she bade him farewell when 
he was leaving home for the last time, had added 






ILLNESS AND DEATH OF MR. RANKIN. 451 

the words which only a noble Christian would 
have been capable of : " Henry, be faithful unto 
death!" 

On the morning of the first of July my hus- 
band, as usual, went early to Mr. Rankin's room. 
The sun had scarcely risen, and the fresh breeze 
from the ocean was peculiarly delightful. 
Though he could not go abroad to enjoy it him- 
self, he desired that others might do so, and re- 
quested Mr. Nevius to take Mrs. Rankin out for 
a snort morning ride on my good Dinah. He 
exhibited much anxiety lest his wife's unremit- 
ting attention to him should injure her own 
health, and not unfrequently would insist upon 
her leaving him for rest or recreation. Her 
judgment was naturally influenced by her wishes, 
and she ever looked on the bright side, never re- 
linquishing hope of her husband's recovery. I 
was rejoiced that it was so, and, indeed, I sympa- 
thized in the feeling. Had we fully realized 
how soon one whose presence we so valued would 
be taken from us, we could not have felt cheer- 
ful and light-hearted, even though we knew that 
for him death had no terrors. 

But at length the certainty forced itself upon 
us that the event we feared was close at hand. 

Instead of indulging further in personal rem- 






452 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

inisceuces I shall quote from a small memorial 
volume a notice of Mr. Rankin's death, together 
with some remarks respecting him which, how- 
ever, to those who knew him well, do not seem to 
give a full idea of his many excellences. 

" On the morning of July 2, 1863, he was 
lying feebly, but tranquilly speaking to the dear 
friends about him. His last message had been 
sent to his eldest child, a son at school in the 
United States ; a note full of filial and brotherly 
affection had been sent to one of his sisters at 
home. His farewell words were spoken calmly 
to the beloved wife and two little daughters, who 
were with him in his chamber of sickness. With 
the exception of a brief period of aberration, his 
intellect was clear to the last. To his dear 
friends, Dr. and Mrs. McCartee, and Mr. and 
Mrs. Nevius, and to a native Christian, who were 
attending him, he expressed his abiding interest 
in their common work and his unfaltering trust 
in the Lord Jesus Christ. . As the sun reached 
its meridian his blessed spirit ascended to behold 
the Sun of Righteousness. The legacy of Jesus 
was received by him in all its fulness, — peace 
here, glory beyond. After nearly thirty-eight 
years of life upon earth, more than half of which 
were full of usefulness, he fell asleep. Within 



ILLNESS AND DEATH OF MR. KANKIN. 453 

the soil of that empire, for whose people he had 
given his strength that he might win some of 
them to Christ, his body rests. 

" The voyager in the northern Chinese seas, as 
he approaches the province of Shantung, may see 
upon the hill that overlooks the city of Tung- 
chow among other stones there set up, one of 
pure white marble. Beneath it is all that was 
mortal of Henry V. Rankin. 

' ' There, by loving friends, who mourned not as 
those without hope, was his body laid to await 
the day of resurrection. But this marble monu- 
ment is not his best or most lasting memorial. 

" He is remembered by many in his native land 
as an unwavering friend, a Christian scholar, a de- 
voted follower of Jesus, and an eloquent preacher 
of the gospel. His frank and generous spirit 
and his guileless life have left their fragrance in 
many homes, and his works have followed him to 
the mansion of his Father's house above. 

" In the schools and chapels of Ningpo, — the 
place of his missionary labors, — his memorial 
abides in souls once benighted by heathenism, 
now rejoicing in the light of gospel truth. His 
sermons are still speaking their instructive doc- 
trine. His pure and prayerful life still abides 
an eloquent example. 









454 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



" From select portions of God's Holy Book, 
which he translated and published, the words of 
life shall long enter into heathen dwellings. The 
sweet hymns composed by him shall long continue 
to ascend from lips that have learned to sing in 
the language of China the praises of Immanuel. 

' ' These are his best memorials, and they can 
never be forgotten. Before the throne of God 
some are now standing, and others shall be 
gathered, who have been instructed by our de- 
parted brother in the way of salvation. As they 
cast their crowns before the Lamb, they will ever 
praise him through whose grace this faithful 
teacher was seht to tell them the glad tidings of 
the love of that Saviour whose cross he so ear- 
nestly preached." 



OUR LAST SUMMER AT TUNG-CHOW. 455 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

OUR LAST SUMMER AT TUNG-CHOW. 

It is very distasteful to me to make such 
frequent allusions to myself, my work, or my 
health; but in a truthful narrative of our life 
in China this could not be avoided. 

In a letter to a dear sympathizing sister, 
dated the fifteenth of August, 1863, I wrote, as 
follows : " Dinner is over. Mr. Nevius is in his 
study commencing his afternoon's work, which, 
at present, is preparing a Commentary on Acts. 
Mrs. Rankin is in her room, and her children 
are at play, while I am chatting with my far- 
off sister. Were we together I should most 
naturally tell you in the first place about my 
health, which, however, is, by this time, such 
a worn-out subject that I fear you are tired of 
hearing it mentioned ; still I trust to your for- 
bearance. I have been very poorly all summer; 
in fact, much of the time ill enough to be in bed. 
I do not suppose I have been able to speak aloud, 



456 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

on a average, one week out of four during the 
last three or four months." [Here follows an 
enumeration of various ailments, which, though 
possibly interesting in a sense to a near relative, 

I am sure would not be so to others] . ' l J 

is sure that one reason why I don't get stronger 
is that I undertake more than my strength 
is equal to ; ' making an effort to appear well 
when I am ill,' etc. But I think that I could 
scarcely live in such a place as Tung-chow 
without I felt a true interest in our work, and 
made some effort to help it along. Perhaps I 
ought to identify myself so completely with my 
husband as to be satisfied with his work with- 
out attempting any other myself. But that is 
a point of perfection to which I have not yet 
attained. 

" The McCartees returned to their home 
week before last. I received a note from Mrs. 
McCartee to-day, in which she says : ' I am 
much concerned that you are getting to feel old. 
Don't stay at home any longer and entertain 
" all the world." Suppose you come down here. 
.... I think Mr. Nevius must not wait until 
he has finished this, that, and the other. I have 
noticed that so many people here have died 
when their translation, or publication, or die- 



I 



OUR LAST SUMMER AT TUNG-CHOW. 457 

tionary, or house, was just completed, that I am 
half superstitious.' 

" Dr. McCartee also advises us very strongly 

to go away somewhere for a change. J 

sometimes of late speaks of our return to the 
United States within a year or two as quite 
possible. I cannot endure the thought of taking 
him away from his work. Rather than that I 
should prefer to stay here, even if I do not 
recover. 

" At the end of two, or, at the most, three 
years I think I should be more than willing to 
leave China for a long visit home ; for, by that 

time, J will have completed his Theology, 

and other work which he has planned, and will 
himself need a long rest. But do not think from 
this that we are likely to come home very soon. 
It is much more probable that we shall take 
a trip somewhere down the coast. The captain 
of a sailing vessel, now at Yentai, has offered us 
a free passage to Amoy. He will sail about two 
months hence, and it is possible that we may 
accept his kind offer. If I were well I should 
enjoy such a visit very much ; but as I now am, 
especially with my voice so weak and uncertain, 
I dread going among strangers." 

On the twentieth of the same month, I made 






458 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

an entry in a letter to my parents, of a very 
different character, as follows : ' ' We have had 
a great freshet. It rained all day yesterday. 
At sunset there seemed some signs of clearing, 
but in the evening it began again to pour. Our 
rooms leaked badly, and at ten o'clock Mr. 
Nevius was hard at work moving boxes and 
furniture to prevent their getting wet. 

" Between eleven and twelve we heard a 
great uproar in the school-girls' room, and, start- 
ing out to learn the cause, found even the inner 
court flooded with water, which already covered 
the lower steps of our veranda, and was several 
inches deep on the one in front of Mrs. Rankin's 
room, which is considerably lower than ours. 

" The women and school-girls came rushing 
into our part of the temple to find a safe retreat, 
the water in their rooms being already over 
their beds, or kangs. Some waded, and some 
were carried by the men, and all were in a great 
state of excitement. Mrs. Chang, the teacher's 
wife, seemed to blame her husband, though for 
what it was hard to tell ; ' Chang sin-san< 
kept saying, "Lie still; go to sleep; don't be 
afraid ; there is no danger ; ' ' but I knew better, 
and I told him so,' she exclaimed, in a most 
injured tone. 






OUR LAST SUMMER AT TUNG-CHOW. 459 

" Little Hyiang-yuing was in dismay when 
she remembered that her pet. a tame ground- 
mouse, had been left behind to the imminent 
peril of its life. So her father, very kindly, 
went back to her sleeping apartment, and res- 
cued it. 

"The water continuing to rise, Mr. Nevius 
and one of the men waded over to Mrs. Rankin's 
room to prevent damage there. Before they had 
things properly arranged, in came the water, 
oozing up through the floor, and pouring over 
the door-sill. At the same moment it entered 
the dining-room. When Mr. Nevius crossed over 
there to lift to a safe elevation some trunks and 
boxes, which, for want of a store-room, I was 
obliged to keep there, he heard a voice calling, 
Nee sin-sang ! Nee sin-sang ! from the garden 
without. It proved to be a neighbor, who, with 
her little son, had made her way through the 
fields behind our house in order to reach the 
Kwan-yin tang. As the water, in the outer 
court and passages, was then too deep to allow 
her to come through in that way, Mr. Nevius 
drew her up through a window seven or eight 
feet from the ground. 

" There is a stream in front of our house 
which is often quite dry, but in heavy rains it 



460 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

rises very suddenly. Last night it was a rush- 
ing torrent. Mr. Nevius was anxious to get out 
to look after an old woman who lives in one of 
the neighboring houses, and also to see if he 
could not render assistance to others who might 
be in danger; but he was met by so swift a 
current as nearly to carry him off, and was 
glad enough to find himself safely back in our 
own enclosure. 

" The water was at its greatest height at mid- 
night. By that time the roof of the Kwan- 
yin tang was leaking in every room, particu- 
larly in the main building, where are our parlor 
and bedroom. Nearly half the ceiling has 
fallen off, or is still hanging in tattered shreds. 
The water abated as rapidly as it rose, and, in 
a few hours, the courts were empty. As the 
flood subsided, it left a residuum very hard to 
remove, both in the house and in the courts. 
Every matting has been taken up. The floor, 
in the girls' school-room, and, also in the chapel 
caved in, and two partition-walls and several 
doors had to be pulled down, as they were on 
the point of falling. Part of the stable-wall fell 
during the night almost upon the horses. Such 
a wet house as ours is to-day I am sure you 
never saw. Two of Mrs. Rankin's boxes, 






OUR LAST SUMMER AT TUNG-CHOW. 4Q1 

which stood in the veranda, she did not remem- 
ber until the water had reached them, and many 
articles which they contained are badly soaked 
and injured. Several boxes of mine will also 
retain some disagreeable traces of this little 
deluge." 

The day after the one on which the above was 
written, Mrs. Rankin and I had a most provi- 
dential escape. We were returning from the 
garden, and had just come through a narrow 
passage-way, when a high wall, which formed one 
side of it, fell, in a heavy mass, which must 
certainly have crushed us had we been be- 
neath it. 

Much damage was done in certain parts of 
the city by the flood. It caused great distress 
among the poor, and several lives were lost. A 
water-gate, where the stream passed under the 
city wall, had, very carelessly, been left closed, 
and thus, when the water rose, not finding its 
usual egress, it spread abroad over that region 
of the city near its banks. 

The walls of our house were so thoroughly soaked 
that it was months before they were perfectly dry. 
This, in a damp climate like Ningpo, would have 
rendered the place very unhealthy ; but I do not 
know that it had that effect in Tung-chow. 



462 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

About the first of September the Rev. Mr. 
Moule, of the English Church mission at Ning- 
po, paid us a short but pleasant visit. When ho 
left, Mrs. Rankin accompanied him back to 
Yentai, where she remained with her sister, Mrs. 
McCartee, for several months. I felt her absence 
very much. The scenes of joy and sorrow 
which we had passed through together had drawn 
us very near each other. 

There was an incident, connected with the lat- 
ter part of our stay in Tung-chow, which I have 
failed to mention in its order of time. Indeed, I 
cannot remember just when it occurred, but think 
it was in the autumn of 1862. The main build- 
ing of the Kwan-yin tang, as I have before men- 
tioned, contained several large idols, standing on 
a raised platform in the middle of the back part 
of the room. Owing to the prejudices of the 
people, and the danger of making a disturbance 
in the city, it was not thought advisable, when 
we first engaged the house, even to suggest their 
removal ; but, as we could not endure to have 
them constantly in sight, they were walled in 
with brick and mortar. A stranger would not 
have guessed their presence, and we would 
seldom have thought of them except that we 
needed the space they occupied, for the house was 



OUR LAST SUMMER AT TUNG-CHOW. 463 

small, and had no closets nor clothes-presses. At 
length, after two years had passed, we concluded 
that we might anticipate the time somewhat when 
the " idols shall be abolished," by removing 
ours and consigning them to some place where 
they would be less in our way. The priest, who 
owned the temple, at first was averse to the 
change, but when reminded that, by the terms of 
the lease, the Kwan-yin tang would probably 
never revert to its original purposes, and conse- 
quently the images would be of no further use, 
he withdrew his objections so far as to say that 
Mr. Nevius might do as he pleased ; he would 
take no responsibility in the matter. Not know- 
ing what effect this step might produce upon the 
people, we proceeded cautiously, but at length 
determined that there was no good reason why 
we should not at once undertake it. A company 
of masons were employed in another part of the 
establishment, and Mr. Nevius called them in 
and requested them to commence the work of re- 
moving the goddess and her attendants, the outer 
doors having been carefully closed to prevent the 
entrance of intruders. It struck the masons as 
sacrilegious, and several were afraid and unwill- 
ing to attempt it. The overseer, a respectable 
elderly man, in particular appeared much discon- 



464 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

certed. He shook his head disapprovingly, and 
was evidently annoyed ; while his son, a youth 
of about nineteen, seemed to have so little fear 
or respect for the gods, or the customs of his peo- 
ple, as to consider the undertaking very good 
fun, and he at once commenced breaking down 
the outside wall in front of the shrine. Seeing 
there was no help for them, the others all joined, 
and in a few moments the three figures, brilliant 
in gilt and paint, appeared in view. Then came 
the more difficult task of taking down the images. 
They were found to be very solid, the frame of 
wood imbedded in the pedestal, so that they could 
not be removed without somewhat injuring them. 
The middle one, a huge male figure, weighing, 
perhaps, six or eight hundred pounds, was at 
length dislodged, and slid down an inclined plane 
formed by a plank resting one end on the plat- 
form and the other in the window of the inner 
court. The other two figures were females, and 
somewhat smaller. One had a baby in her 
arms. As one after another they were slid 
down the plank, a finger or a hand would break 
loose and fall off, which struck the young mason 
in a comical light, and he was unsparing in his 
sarcastic remarks about the power of the gods, 
who allowed themselves to be thus uncere* 



OUR LAST SUMMER AT TUNG-CHOW. 465 

moniously dethroned. Mr. Nevius had prom- 
ised to injure the idols as little as possible, and 
to store them in a small loft over one of the 
rooms. The two female figures were, with much 
difficulty, elevated to their place of storage, but 
the other was so heavy that, by common consent, 
it was decided that it would be dangerous to at- 
tempt to raise it ; besides, it was so large that it 
could scarcely be passed through the trap-door, 
even if the timbers should prove strong enough 
to support it. It was already nearly dark ; some- 
thing must be done with the unwieldy creature ; 
so we decided that we could not do better than 
to bury him in the court. A large hole was dug, 
a matting wound round him, and he was low- 
ered to his ignominious grave, — 

Not a gun was heard, nor a funeral note, 
As Kwan-yin from his platform we hurried; 

Not a soldier discharged his farewell shot 
O'er the hole where this image was buried. 

Slowly, not sadly, we laid him down, 

This hero of many a story; 
We carved not a line, we raised not a stone, 

Rut left him alone in his glory. 

No useless coffin enclosed his breast, 

Nor in sheet nor in shroud we bound him; 

Rut he lay like a warrior, taking his rest, 
With an old mat wrapped around him. 
30 



466 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

" What a powerful god! " the young mason said, 

But none whispered a word of sorrow; 
Though some viewed the deed with no little dread, 

And we anxiously thought of the morrow. 

But there was, we were glad to find, no special 
cause for anxiety, as the affair created no excite- 
ment whatever. 

During the month of September, I was not a 
little tried by two persons in whom I was deeply 
interested. My oldest pupil, Tsing-hyiang, ex- 
hibited a very untractable disposition, and gave 
me much anxiety, lest our hopes of her being a 
truly converted person might prove unfound- 
ed. My former ah-m — Tsu sao-sao — also 
evinced an unlovely and, I feared, unchristian 
spirit, toward a woman named Li sao-sao, whom 
I had taken into my employ as a servant. I 
think, on looking back to that time, that with 
reference to both these persons I did not suffi- 
ciently bear in mind the fact that sanctification 
in many true believers is indeed only com- 
menced, while the most unlovely traits of poor 
human nature are too often allowed to exhibit 
themselves with alarming frequency and inten- 
sity. There was nothing that I could fix upon 
as an evidence of hypocrisy or of positive un- 
fitness for church communion ; or rather, there 



OUR LAST SUMMER AT TUNG-CHOW. 467 

was nothing in either more reprehensible than I 
have witnessed in professing Christians in this 
country whose standing in the church is unques- 
tioned. Tsu sao-sao was frequently censorious ; 
she was also unjust in her opinion of those she 
fancied had usurped her place in my affections ; 
and in some other respects I did not feel quite 
satisfied with her. 

The woman Li sao-sao, alluded to above, was 
in some respects a very interesting person. She 
was a plain country woman of the poorer class, but 
had a good mind and more than ordinary common 
sense. When she first came to me she had very 
confused religious ideas. I do not think she had 
ever given much thought to the subject. Most 
Chinese women are ready to acknowledge that 
they are sinners ; but Li sao-sao, when I in- 
quired her opinion of herself in that particular, 
told me frankly that she did not think she was a 
sinner ; on the contrary, she considered herself a 
very harmless, good sort of person. She was 
not in the habit of lying or stealing : she did not 
wish ill to any one ; so far as she could see, 
there was nothing in her of a reprehensible 
nature. When I suggested certain offences, such 
as anger, pride, etc., of which every one, I 
thought, was more or less guilty, she did not 



468 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

deny having indulged in them, but so had every 
one else, and she not more than others : therefore 
there was no sin in them. However, if I said 
they were wrong, she supposed they must be. I 
noticed that from this time she became very 
thoughtful, and was evidently reflecting upon 
what she had heard ; and it was not I0112; before 
she made the discovery that her heart, which she 
had before supposed so delightfully pure, had a 
strange propensity to do the things she would 
not ; while the things she would, she found her- 
self totally unable to perform. I heard nothing 
more of her blameless life and meritorious deeds. 
She had found her need of Jesus, and I think 
she sincerely and gladly accepted his offer of 
pardon and salvation. 

After I became too unwell to go out among 
the women, I sent Li sao-sao daily ; and had 
much comfort in feeling that she was, perhaps, 
able to do quite as much good as I could have 
done, had I gone in her stead. 

We had but few visitors at that time, the 
effect of the injurious reports relating to us, 
which I have already mentioned, not yet having 
worn off. 

Early in September, Mr. and Mrs. Roberts, 
from Shanghai, visited Tung-chow in the hope 






OUR LAST SUMMER AT TUNG-CHOW. 469 

of benefiting their little daughter, who was ill. 
In this they were sadly disappointed, for their 
baby died a few hours after their arrival. The 
next evening, at sunset, we made the little grave 
on the hill by the sea-side. Dr. McCartee had 
accompanied the Robertses to Tung-chow, having 
been summoned hither by illness in one of the 
mission families. Sixty miles in a mule-litter, 
or on horseback, is a long distance for a doctor's 
professional ride, or for a patient to be carried, 
as has several times been necessary in order to 
secure his services. These journeys were a 
great tax upon Dr. McCartee's strength and 
kindness; but, under the circumstances, they 
seemed unavoidable. 






470 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

SOJOURN AT NINGPO. — MODES OF PREPARING 
TEA FOR MARKET. 

On the twenty-first of September we received 
a letter from Dr. McCartee, informing us that 
two vessels at Yentai were on the point of sail- 
ing, the one for Hong-kong, the other for Amoy, 
in both of whicfy we were kindly offered a pas- 
sage down the coast. He urged our accepting 
the invitation of one or the other, and without 
delay trying the effect of change and rest upon 
my health. 

After consulting with the other missionaries, 
and having earnestly asked direction from Him 
who so often, in our lives, had verified the 
promise, " In all thy ways acknowledge Him, 
and He shall direct thy paths," we decided to 
start the next morning for Yentai. 

After a few hours of busy preparations, in 
which we were assisted by our friends, both 



i 






SOJOURN AT NINGPO. 471 

foreign and native, we bade good-by to Tung- 
chow. We expected to be gone only a month 
or two, but, notwithstanding this, our Chinese 
friends, especially the girls and the women, 
seemed to feel our going very much, and many 
tears were shed. 

We left home at nine o'clock in the morning, 
I in a shen-tz or mule-litter, and Mr. Nevius 
on horseback. By seven at evening we reached 
Sing-tien, the village where we stopped on our 
first journey to Tung-chow. The inn seemed 
forbidding in the last degree, and the air was so 
stifling that my lungs almost refused to breathe 
it. I was greatly relieved when Mr. Nevius sug- 
gested continuing our journey by night. He left 
his horse, and mounted a donkey which knew 
the road so perfectly as to be quite capable of 
acting as our guide. The owner of the don- 
key assured us that if we would allow it to have 
its own way we need have no fear of losing the 
road ; and so, through all the hours of that 
dark night, we followed our wise little leader up 
hill and down, through fields and over streams, 
in narrow, rocky, and precipitous paths ; some- 
times on the edge of chasms and precipices, 
without ever one mistake. Brave little donkey ! 
so patient and watchful. I slept occasionally, 






472 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

notwithstanding the jolting, and was certainly 
not more fatigued than if we had passed the 
night in that miserable inn. Mr. Nevius, how- 
ever, was completely tired out. At four o'clock, 
just at daybreak, we forde<l a small river. I 
enjoyed the strangeness, almost grotesqueness, 
of our night journey ; but I do not think I 
should recommend it to persons generally, espec- 
ially invalids. I found myself so prostrated as 
to be obliged to keep my bed most of the time 
for days afterwards. 

We reached the McCartees at six o'clock, and 
were glad to find our friends all well. Neither 
of the vessels was to sail for several days : so we 
need not have hastened our leaving Tung-chow 
as we did. 

It was decided that for several reasons it 
would be best for us to accept the invitation of 
Capt. King, of the "Agnes," whose wife, a very 
agreeable American lady, was with him. They 
were exceedingly kind and hospitable, and, had 
it not been for sea-sickness and ill health, the 
voyage would have been a very pleasant one. 

The records of the journey ings of an invalid 
in search of health are not often very entertain- 
ing, and I shall not presume upon the patience 
of my readers by giving my experience at much 



SOJOURN AT NINGPO. 473 

length. We spent several weeks at Amoy, 
where we were most hospitably entertained by 
Mr. and Mrs. Cowie, of the English Presbyte- 
rian Mission, and received many kindnesses from 
other missionaries, both English and American. 
An excellent physician, who was called in to see 
me soon after our arrival, took a discouraging 
view of my health, and urged us to give up our 
intention of remaining longer in China, and 
return to the United States immediately. I 
did not improve as I had hoped from the change 
of scene and air ; but we did not feel prepared 
to decide at once to leave China. 

As you enter the harbor, Amoy presents a 
beautiful appearance. Most of the foreign resi- 
dents live on a small, rocky island called Ku- 
long-su, and as every one has chosen as high and 
airy a building site as possible, and as the houses 
are usually large, when seen from the bay they 
show to good advantage. Amoy is also an 
island. The town itself is the most miserable 
Chinese city I ever saw. The streets are narrow 
and filthy. The American missionaries all re- 
sided on the Amoy side, but their houses were 
not considered healthy ; indeed, they could not 
have been so in such an unfavorable location. 

The missions at Amoy have been, in some 



474 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

respects, more favored than any others in the 
country. They have large, self-sustaining 
churches, and Christianity has taken deep hold 
there. Mr. Nevius was glad to have the oppor- 
tunity of familiarizing himself with their mode 
of operations, and of witnessing its results. He 
visited the churches in the city, and also accom- 
panied some of the missionaries to their distant 
out-stations. 

After leaving Amoy, we spent a few days in 
Hong-kong. where we were the guests of my 
old friend Mr. Speiden. From there we went 
to Canton. Mr. Preston, of our mission, was a 
classmate of my husband in Princeton ; he went 
to China shortly after we did, and it was delight- 
ful for them to meet again after their ten years' 
separation. 

Canton is a beautiful city, very large and 
well built, superior to any Chinese town I had 
before visited, except Hang-chow, as it was be- 
fore the rebels captured it. Although foreign- 
ers have resided for many years in the suburbs 
of Canton, it is only recently that the city prop- 
er has been opened. Formerly, no "outside 
barbarian" dared to venture within the gates; 
well knowing that he would probably lose his 
head, in consequence of his temerity, should he 



SOJOURN AT NINGPO. 475 

attempt it. Now there seems no difference in 
that respect between this and other cities. 

Although it has not, thus far, proved a very 
successful mission-station, there have been, of 
late years, some more encouraging indications. 
Mr. Nevius was particularly pleased with Mr. 
Preston's chapel services, which were well at- 
tended by a very respectable class of persons, 
while Mr. Preston entered into his work with 
unusual heartiness and spirit. 

The boarding-schools of Mrs. Bonny and 
Mrs. Happer interested me greatly. The latter 
had been in China since she was a child, and 
was, consequently, not only perfectly at home 
in the language, but also in the manners and 
habits of the people; and her influence over 
them was very great. Her school I thought a 
model for all others, at least in many respects. 
I noticed, with particular pleasure, the attention 
she paid to the manners of her pupils, never 
allowing them to transgress their own rules of 
propriety, or to fall into habits which would 
be considered rude among their own country- 
women. Her influence over them religiously 
was also very great. She entered into their 
joys and sorrows, trials and temptations, in 
a most natural and interested way; and they 



476 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

felt that in her they had a faithful, loving 
friend. 

Another lady whose acquaintance I made on 
that visit was Mrs. Condit, who was loved and 
admired by every one. She was a devoted 
missionary, and had made excellent progress 
in the language, both written and spoken ; and 
by her winning manners was particularly fitted 
to be useful among Chinese females. 

Within a year or two after our visit, both 
of these ladies, so loved and useful, were 
removed by death. 

Among the most valuable agencies of the 
Canton Mission has been the hospital, for many 
years under the judicious management of Dr. 
Ker. I am sure his- faithful and laborious 
efforts in connection with it must yet meet with 
an abundant reward. 

We spent two or three weeks with our 
friends in Canton, the pleasure of the visit 
marred only by my poor health, which made 
even the privilege of meeting persons whose 
acquaintance I was so glad to form, a very 
weariness. 

In the latter part of December we sailed for 
Shanghai in an American steamer called the 
Foh-kien. Her accommodations were ample, and 






SOJOURN AT NINGPO. 477 

the most bountiful provisions were made for the 
table, which, however, was very poorly patron- 
ized; for we sailed against a heavy monsoon, 
and the motion of the vessel was such as to 
produce sea-sickness of the worst character. I 
was ill nearly all the way, being seldom able to 
leave my berth. It was a welcome relief when 
we stopped a few hours at Fuchow. This also 
gave us a glimpse of the pleasant circle of mis- 
sionaries there, who, as elsewhere, were hard 
and successfully at work. At that time their 
prospects seemed encouraging, but a few weeks 
later there was a singular outburst of feeling 
against them, a furious mob quite demolishing 
their churches, and ill-treating the native Chris- 
tians. 

We reached Shanghai on the fourth of De- 
cember, and went at once to the house of Mr. 
Gamble, my fellow-passenger from the United 
States, in the N. B. Palmer, seven years be- 
fore. He was occupying rooms over a church 
situated in a busy street outside the city walls, 
and also somewhat removed from the foreign 
settlement. There being scarcely any native 
families near, it was rather an unpromising 
location for missionary work, at least among the 
women; but as our host was still a bachelor, 



478 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



this mattered less. Close to the church was 
the press where Mr. Gamble kept a large corps 
of Chinese workmen employed in printing the 
Scriptures and religious books for missiona- 
ries all over China, besides other miscellaneous 
work. 

While at Shanghai, the late Dr. Henderson, 
a highly valued Scotch physician, advised us so 
strongly to return to the United States, and 
warned us so earnestly of the danger of a long 
delay, that we scarcely felt at liberty to further 
discuss the matter, though it would have been 
Mr. Nevius' preference, as well as my own, to 
remain at least a year or two longer in China. 

A day or two after our arrival, Mr. Gamble 
had the pleasure of welcoming a much-loved 
sister from Ireland, who had come to cheer the 
home and heart of her missionary brother. And 
a few days later a welcome reinforcement of the 
Tung-chow mission, Mr. and Mrs. Mateer, and 
Mr. and Mrs. Corbett, arrived from the United 
States. Mr. Corbett was very unwell when he 
reached Shanghai, his illness being apparently 
due to the miserable diet furnished them on 
ship-board. 

We hoped their dangers by sea were over 
when they had reached Shanghai, but shortly 






SOJOURN AT NINGPO. 479 

before they arrived at Che-foo, the steamer on 
which they had taken pas-sage ran aground, and 
the . passengers were obliged to go on shore. 
They walked for many hours, through snow 
and sleet, before they found a place of shelter. 
Then they were received by a Chinese family, 
who treated them very kindly, giving up their 
own hangs for them to rest upon, and offering 
such food as their house afforded. A gun-boat 
went down the next day from Che-foo, and 
brought them all in safety to their journey's 
end, at least to Che-foo. Their long overland 
trip to Tung-chow had still to be made. 

When the question of our return home had 
been decided, Mr. Nevius concluded to go at 
once to Ningpo, in order to secure the aid of 
trained native scholars to assist him in finishing 
and revising different* works for the press. He 
felt that he could not leave the country without 
accomplishing this object, as doing so might in- 
volve the loss of years of hard labor. 

We arrived at Ningpo about the first of the 
year 1864. It was both pleasant and sad to be 
there again. Sometimes the weight of old asso- 
ciations was really oppressive ; and we constantly 
missed the dear familiar faces which used to 
make Ningpo such a cheerful, happy place. 



480 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



Our mission at that time consisted of Mr. and 
Mrs. Green, Mr. and Mrs. Morrison, and Mr. 
.Dodd. It seemed strange to find ourselves such 
"patriarchs." With one exception, there was 
not a missionary at Ningpo who was there on 
our arrival ten years before. Some had removed 
to other parts of China, or returned to their 
native countries, but many had died from the 
effects of climate or overwork, or more probably 
from both causes combined, as was the case with 
Mr. Rankin. 

The native Christians met us with hearty and 
affectionate welcomes, and were evidently much 
rejoiced to meet their old friend and pastor 
" Nee sin-sang " again. 

The three months which we spent at Ningpo 
at that time, though they afforded very little of 
general interest in a narrative, were a busy and 
interesting season to us. I was not sure but 
that, having for so long been accustomed to 
speaking only Mandarin, our Ningpo might be 
rusty ; but we found no difficulty whatever in 
that respect. 

My husband at once commenced work, assisting 
wherever his services were most required in the 
ordinary employments of the mission. Mr. 
Green and Mr. Morrison were both only partially 



SOJOURN AT NINGPO. 481 

recovered from long and dangerous illnesses; 
while the duties which necessarily devolved upon 
them were extremely arduous. 

Shortly after reaching Ningpo, Mr. Nevius 
went with Mr. Dodd to Bao-ko-tah, the nearest 
out-station, where he preached and administered 
the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. At the 
close of the service a woman came to them with 
a singular case of conscience. She wished to 
know whether it was right to think of Jesus 
after she had gone to bed at night. She said 
that by the worshippers of Veh it was con- 
sidered wrong to think of him at that time. 
She also asked, whether, in case she really had 
no leisure for prayer in the morning, it would 
answer as well to say two prayers at night. 

Mr. Nevius and Mr. Dodd made several 
visits to the San-poh stations, where they were 
delighted to find affairs in a most prosperous 
condition. On one of these visits they assisted 
in ordaining Mr. Zia to the office of the minis- 
try, and installing him pastor of one of the 
churches ; and in ordaining Kying Ling-yiu as 
an evangelist. 

At a meeting of the Ningpo Presbytery, of 
which Mr. Nevius was still a member, six can- 
didates — all, with one exception, graduates from 

31 



482 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



the school — were licensed to preach the gospel. 
This was a very important measure, and has 
been fraught with the happiest results. Presby- 
terianism, as it seems to me, is wonderfully 
adapted to the wants of mission fields. Its form 
of government is so strong yet flexible, and 
suited to the emergencies of Christianity in its 
infancy ; its doctrines are so sound and whole- 
some, and its practices so scriptural, that it is 
suited to the wants of the church, not less when 
she is coming up from the wilderness of heathen 
error, than in the lands where Christianity has 
already, in a measure, performed her purifying 
and ennobling work. 

As I was too unwell, while at Ningpo, to at- 
tempt missionary labor myself, I was glad to be 
able to do something by proxy. I was very 
anxious to interest our converts, who had been 
trained in the girls' boarding-school, in the same 
kind of work in which I. and my imperfectly 
instructed women in Tung-chow, had been en- 
gaged. I was so fortunate as to secure the ser- 
vices of two young women who had some years 
before completed their education in the school. 
One of them was Kying-lan, the wife of the 
Elder and native assistant Yi Loh-ding, who was 
carried off by the rebels. No tidings have ever 



SOJOURN AT NINGPO. 483 

been received from him, and it is supposed that 
he is dead. Kying-lan had not been considered, 
in all respects, suited to this new employment, 
but I was pleasantly disappointed in her. She 
was systematic and industrious, and her heart 
seemed in her work. The other, Siu-vong, was 
a cheerful, kind-hearted person, with hearty, 
cordial manners, well adapted to making friends. 
Her husband was a heathen, but he had much 
respect and affection for his Christian wife. 

Siu-vong and Kying-lan sometimes went to- 
gether, and at other times alone, in their visits 
among the women. They seldom met with 
rudeness or ill-treatment. I gave them the re- 
sult of my experience in that kind of work, and 
at first used to direct very explicitly what they 
should say, what answers to make to certain ob- 
jections which they would be likely to meet, etc., 
etc. But I gradually gained confidence in them, 
as I found they were very discreet, and succeeded 
well in their new and difficult undertaking. 
They came to me every evening, when from their 
lips .1 made a journal of their day's work, noting 
down just where they had been, whom they had 
met, and sometimes long conversations which they 
had held. I could do this, though I was seldom 
able to speak except in a whisper. It was as 






484 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



much for their sakes as my own, as it gave me 
an opportunity of imparting instruction, if they 
needed it, and also encouragement if they seemed 
at all disheartened. I have those journals still, 
but as they resemble very much my own of a 
similar nature, I will not insert them. After I 
left Ningpo, Mrs. Green kindly took charge of 
this work, but Siu-vong's husband, not very 
long after, objected to her continuing it, and she 
was obliged to give, it up. 

On my return to China I hope to be able to 
do much, not only myself, but in engaging our 
native Christian women in this department of 
labor. The experiment has been tried by vari- 
ous missionary ladies who have " Bible women/' 
as they are sometimes called, under their super- 
intendence ; and has been found to succeed well. 

I know of no other way in which Chinese 
women, in the seclusion of their homes, can be 
reached. Either foreign or native women must 
go to them with the "good news " of salvation, 
or the great majority can never hear it. 

I was much interested in Mrs. Morrison's in- 
dustrial classes, which she was about commenc- 
ing at that time. Once or twice a week she 
would gather the women of a certain locality 
together for an hour or two, paying them a 



SOJOURN AT NINGPO. 485 

small sum, perhaps about two cents, for the time. 
While they sewed, she, or a native Christian, 
would read to, or converse with them; giving 
such instruction as they needed, in the rudiments 
of Christianity. The plan seemed to work well, 
and I think was adopted in other places also. 
It, of course, is suited only to women of the 
poorer class. 

Mr. Nevius took advantage of every leisure 
moment during this sojourn at Ningpo, to hasten 
forward the completion of his books, having sev- 
eral teachers and scribes constantly occupied. 
He worked night and day, now with one, now 
with another, and had the satisfaction of crowd- 
ing into a short space of time the work which 
ought properly to have occupied a much longer 
period. It seemed necessary ; but the effort was 
too much for him, and his health suffered in con- 
sequence for nearly a year after. 

While at Ningpo I could make but few visits 
of any kind, but I occasionally went out to see 
an old friend. I went again to find my ah-m, 
Yiang-ko siao-yi, who, as I mentioned in a 
former chapter, had become insane. I was 
shown to the door of her room, which she always 
kept closed and bolted. It was thought doubt- 
ful whether she would open it, but when told 



486 OUR LIFK IN CHINA. 

that it was I, she allowed me to enter. She was 
the saddest creature I ever saw, and it appeared 
to me that her mental derangement was un- 
doubtedly a species of religious melancholy. 
While I was with her she constantly repeated 
the words j " Kyiufeh Ice, ! Kyiufeh 1<b!" " I 
cannot be saved ! I cannot be saved." She 
seemed pleased to see me, but I left her with a 
heavy heart, her case appearbxl so hopeless. 
Her friends said that she often urged them to 
repent of their sins and believe in Jesus, even 
while for herself she felt there was no hope 
whatever. 

One day, in the latter part of March, Mr. 
Nevius and myself visited an extensive estab- 
lishment where tea is prepared for the foreign 
market. We had often witnessed the process of 
tea-picking on the hills in the vicinity of Ning- 
po, where it grows in large quantities ; but we 
had never given much attention to the final 
processes necessary to fit it for exportation to 
distant lands. That used by the natives is pre- 
pared in a more simple way. We found in this 
establishment eight or ten long ranges, each 
with twelve or more deep, iron pans, with appa- 
ratus for heating them underneath. In these 
pans the leaves, after having been carefully 



MODES OF PREPARING TEA. 487 

assorted and wilted, are heated over a slow fire, 
a man standing by, who, with the palm of his 
hand, lightly stirs the whole with an even rotary 
motion. In answer to our questions, a man con- 
nected with this establishment gave us a good 
deal of information upon this subject, which, by 
the way, I find interests many people who pro- 
fess entire indifference to most other matters 
connected with China and the Chinese race. I 
wish, for the sake of such, that I were more au 
fait in the subject. From all which I have 
been able to learn, I think there can be no doubt 
that both black and green teas can be made from 
the same plant, by varying the mode of preparation 
and the time of gathering it. The young and 
tender leaves are much valued by the natives, 
who invariably drink their tea without either 
milk or sugar ; but that variety, I think, would 
not be a favorite in Western lands. It is nearly 
colorless, and has a very delicate flavor. It is 
very expensive even in China. The Chinese 
never boil their tea, as is common in this country. 
They make an infusion of it by pouring boiling 
water upon the leaves, allowing it to stand a few 
moments before it is used. It is usually made 
in the cups from which it is drunk. A small 
quantity of leaves having been placed in the 



488 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



bottom, the cup is filled with boiling water, and 
the saucer is placed over the top while it "draws.' 7 
Davis, in his work on China, says, " The speci- 
mens brought from the black and green tea 
countries differ slightly in the leaf; the latter 
being a thinner leaf, rather lighter in color and 
longer in shape than the other. But, besides 
this, the great difference in the preparation con- 
tributes to mark the distinctions between the two 
kinds of the manufactured article ; for the 
Chinese themselves acknowledge that either 
black or green tea may be prepared from any 
tea plant. The green teas are less subjected to 
the action of fire than the black, and therefore 
retain more of their original color ; but they are 
at the same time infinitely more liable to suffer 
from time and damp. If the two kinds of tea- 
leaves are examined after having been expanded 
in hot water, it will be observed that the black 
contain the stems of the leaves as well as a por- 
tion of the stalks on which they grew, while the 
hyson (green) leaves have generally been pinched 
off above the leaf-stem. The black tea thus 
contains much of the woodv fibre, while the 
fine green is exclusively the fleshy part of the 
leaf itself, which is one good reason why it 
should be dearer." We were also told, at that 






MODES OF PREPARING TEA. 489 

establishment in Ningpo, that a foreign coloring 
ingredient is usually introduced into the green 
teas to improve their color, but that it is in very 
minute quantities and of a harmless character. 
I suppose there is no doubt that " Prussian 
blue,'' which is certainly far from being innox- 
ious, has sometimes been employed ; but it must 
have been in very small quantities. Gypsum, 
and I think indigo also, have sometimes been 
used to improve the color, if not the quality, 
of our favorite beverage. 

Americans have the credit of bringing about 
this bad habit of coloring the teas. It is said 
that years ago, when foreign trade was princi- 
pally with Canton, the supply of green teas, 
which alone were desired in the American mar- 
ket, was altogether insufficient to meet the 
demand. American sailing-vessels were obliged 
to leave within a certain time, and they were 
determined not to go without their cargoes, and 
the Chinese were naturally equally desirous 
that they should be supplied. So they went to 
work manufacturing green varieties out of old 
black, and in some cases damaged tea-leaves; 
using, not very sparingly, " Prussian blue" 
and " gypsum" Of late years, since other 
parts of the empire have been opened to foreign 






490 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

commerce, and the demand is so equally divided 
between black and green varieties, there can be 
no such irresistible temptation to the manufac- 
ture of either one kind or the other. 

The black teas, at least some varieties, in the 
process of preparation, are trodden by barefooted 
men, and when finally ready for market go 
through a similar process as they are being 
placed in chests. Davis says, " The tea, when 
prepared, is first of all put up in baskets, and 
subsequently packed by the contractors in chests 
and canisters. The black teas are trodden 
down with the feet to make them pack closer ; 
but the green tea-leaves would be crushed and 
broken by so rude a process ; they are accord- 
ingly only shaken into the chests." Our in- 
formant at the Ningpo tea hong assured us that 
hogs' -blood is often used in the preparation of 
black teas. 

In " Doolittle's Social Life of the Chinese" 
I find the following account of the method of 
preparing Cango as witnessed in a tea-district 
near Fuchau: "1. The leaves are exposed in 
the sun or in any airy place. The object of this 
is not to dry them, but only to wilt them slowly 
and thoroughly. 2. A quantity of leaves thus 
wilted are put into a shallow vessel usually made 






MODES OF PREPARING TEA. 491 

of the splints of the bamboo, and trodden down 
together for a considerable time until all the 
fibres and stems of the leaves are broken. The 
object is simply to break the stiff parts or fibres. 
Men barefooted are employed to do this work, 
because the Chinese do not appear to have found 
a more convenient, expeditious, and effective 
method of attaining the object in view. It does 
not seem to them a filthy and objectionable 
operation. 3. These leaves are then rolled in a 
particular manner by the hands of the operator. 
The object is solely to cause them to take a 
round and spiral form. If not rolled in this 
way they would remain flat, — a shape not adapt- 
ed to the foreign market. While lying on the 
vessel the hands, spread out, are passed around 
sometimes in a circular manner parallel to the 
bottom of the vessel, lightly touching the leaves. 
4. They are now placed in a heap to heat for 
half an hour or longer, until they become of a 
reddish appearance. 5. The leaves are then 
spread out in the sun, or in a light and airy 
place, and left to dry. They must be thoroughly 
dried, else they would mould and become unfit 
for the foreign market. 6. The leaf is next 
sold to the agents of foreigners, or to native 
dealers, who take it away to expend a great deal 



492 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

of labor upon it before it is shipped to foreign 
countries. It is sifted on coarse sieves, and 
picked over several times in order to separate the 
different qualities, to remove the stems, the large 
or flat leaves, etc. The large leaves are put by 
themselves, and the small by themselves. It is 
dried several times over slow fires in iron pans, 
in order to prevent its spoiling through moist- 
ure, according to circumstances, as the weather, 
length of time on hand, etc., seem to require." 

Other varieties differ considerably in their 
preparation, but this one description gives a 
sufficiently correct idea of the whole. 

The tea plant is a shrub, which seen at a dis- 
tance resembles somewhat the common currant- 
bush. Its blossom is very like that of the ca- 
mellia japonica. " The camellia bears the same 
name among the Chinese as the tea shrub, and 
possesses most of its botanical characters." . . 
u The picking of the leaves is usually performed 
by women and children, who can, in this business, 
earn from three to six cents a day. 

"There are three seasons for picking the leaves, 
namely, in the third, fifth, and eighth Chinese 
months, when each shrub is picked over at in- 
tervals of ten or fifteen days, two or three times 
or more, according to its thriftiness, and the 






MODES OF PREPARING TEA. 403 

demand in market for the dried leaf. If there is 
no prospect of selling the tea at a profit the leaf 
is not picked. A pound of green leaves makes 
only about three or four ounces of tea. The 
first picking is the best and commands the high- 
est price." 

So much for the tea plant. If I have failed 
to give a correct idea of its culture or prepara- 
tion, I hope that I may be excused on the ground 
that other duties and interests in China were of 
so much more imperative a nature as to prevent 
my giving much attention to other matters, even 
to one of such general interest as this. 






494 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



CHAPTER XX. 

TRIP UP THE RIVER YIANG-TSE. — LEAVING 
CHINA. 

About the first of March we returned to 
Shanghai in one of Dent & Go's steamers, a 
free passage having been politely proffered us. 
It was with sincere regret that we parted from 
our Ningpo friends, both native and foreign, 
who had done so much to make our sojourn with 
them pleasant. Mr. Dodd accompanied us to 
the boat; and late in the evening, before the 
steamer weighed anchor, Mr. Green and Mr. 
Morrison, who had just returned from an itiner- 
ating tour, came a long way down to the anchor- 
age to bid us good-by. 

We had hoped to engage passage from 
Shanghai direct to New York, or, failing in 
that, to be able to find a ship going to Califor- 
nia. But we were disappointed, as there was 
scarcely a vessel of any kind at that time bound 
either for New York or San Francisco. The 
privateers of the " Southern Confederacy" had 




TRIP UP THE RIVER YIANG-TSE. 495 

carried on their business so successfully as to 
drive nearly every merchant vessel carrying the 
United States flag out of those waters. Undei 
these circumstances, we thought very seriously 
of returning to Tung-chow, and waiting for bet- 
ter times. Dr. Henderson, who himself, a few 
months afterwards, fell a victim to the climate, 
urged the necessity of our leaving China with as 
little delay as possible, cautioning us against 
the risk of remaining through the unhealthy 
season. We felt the importance of his advice, 
and would have left sooner had there been a 
suitable opportunity. At length, after much 
detention, and visiting and making inquiries on 
board a great many ships, Mr. Nevius secured 
passage for ourselves, and Mrs. Rankin and her 
children, who were to accompany us, in an Eng- 
lish vessel bound for London. It seemed a very 
roundabout way of reaching home to have to go 
first to England, and a few years earlier or later 
there would have been no such necessity. It 
was one of the many ways in which, even in 
China, we were made to realize the existence of 
"the great rebellion. " 

While waiting for our vessel to sail, we were 
invited by Mr. Tyers, of " Olyphant & Co.," to 
take a trip up the River Yiang-tse to Han-kao. 



496 OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 

We were glad to avail ourselves of this favorable 
opportunity of seeing the interior of China, and 
making observations and investigations respecting 
its advantages for missionary efforts. We went 
on board the steamer late one Monday evening 
in the latter part of May, and the next morning 
got under way. I was ill the first day, and 
not able to leave my berth ; but that mattered 
less, as the scenery we were passing was tame 
and uninteresting. The first night we reached 
Chin-kiang, one of the newly opened ports. It 
is not now a place of much wealth or influence, 
but formerly was large and flourishing, with a 
population estimated at 500,000. It was cap- 
tured by the rebels the year before we reached 
China. They held it for three years, when, 
owing to supplies failing, they were obliged to 
evacuate it. Looking from my window, I could 
see by the moonlight a background of hills, the 
irregular wall of a Chinese city, and one large 
foreign house upon the hill-side. That, I be- 
lieve, was the custom-house. Most of the few 
foreign residents lived in boats, or the hulks of 
old vessels fitted up as residences. 

The next day, at noon, we passed the city of 
Nankin. Its walls, which are about fifteen 
miles in circumference, run, in some places, 






TRIP UP THE RIVER Y1ANG-TSE. 497 

close to the water's edge, and, in others, stretch 
far away over high hills, enclosing miles and 
miles of unoccupied ground, and cultivated 
fields, or gardens. More than ten years pre- 
vious Nankin had been captured by the insur- 
gents, and a great part of the time since then 
the Imperialists had been closely besieging it. 
As we passed, we could see the long lines of 
tents belonging to the besieging army, which, 
like a great boa-constrictor, was coiled around 
the ill-fated city. The rebels were known to be 
hard pressed for provisions, and it was not sup- 
posed they could hold out much longer. Only 
a little frontage on the river was left them, and 
they evidently made the most of that for fishing. 
Close to the wall of the city is a narrow stream, 
upon one side of which were the Imperialists, on 
the other the rebels. 

Early Thursday morning we passed the fine 
old city of Ngan-kin, sometimes called by for- 
eigners Gan-kin. It lies on the northern shore, 
and is the capital of Ngan-hwe province, which we 
entered, not far from it. This city was then the 
residence of one of the highest insurgent chiefs. 

On the afternoon of that day we passed one 
of the most interesting objects of the whole 
route, the " Siao kwu-san," "Little Orphan," 

32 



498 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



a most singular island lying midway in the 
river. It rises abruptly from the waves, one 
towering rock two or three hundred feet high. 
On its summit is a small temple, or idol shrine, 
and somewhat lower down is a larger building, 
evidently of the same character. These can be 
approached only by steps hewn in the rock. I 
was surprised to see in such a rocky place an 
abundance of beautiful foliage. An hour or 
two after leaving this pretty spot, we discovered 
the entrance of the Poyang Lake, and had a 
glimpse of another island called '•' Ta kwu-san," 
the "Larger Orphan," also apparently a high 
precipitous rock. Like its young sister just 
mentioned, it evidently is not altogether neg- 
lected, as its brow is crowned by a towering 
pagoda. They are both, no doubt, appropriated 
by the Buddhists. 

It was evening when we reached Kyiu-kiang, 
where the steamer anchored a short time. There 
were here only a few foreign houses, but those 
few were large and conspicuous, and, seen from 
the river presented a fine appearance. There 
was not one European lady living there. 

The next afternoon (Friday) we reached 
Han-kow, our journey's end. While there, we 
were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. John, of the 



TRIP UP THE RIVER YIANG-TSE. 49tf 

London Mission. They had visited us several 
years before, while we were living at Hang-chow. 
We seemed destined to meet in out-of-the-way 
places. Their new mission at Han-kow had 
commenced most prosperously, and at that early 
date gave indications, since fully verified, of 
being a station of no ordinary interest. Mr. Cox, 
and Dr. and Mrs. Schmidt, of the English 
Wesleyan Society, were the only other mission- 
aries located there. 

Han-kow is situated on the Yiang-tse Kiang, 
six hundred miles from its mouth, at the point 
of its confluence with the River Han. Seven 
years before our visit it had been completely 
destroyed by the rebels, only one house, we 
were told, having been left standing. But, as 
if by magic, it had already recovered itself, and 
was again a place of much commercial impor- 
tance. It is compactly built, extending at that 
time for at least five miles along the banks of 
the Han and Yiang-tse Rivers. It was, how- 
ever, narrow, in comparison to its width. Its 
population was very great, about four hundred 
thousand. It had few objects of interest, such 
as temples, gardens, or fine streets, which are 
usually found in Chinese cities of equal size; 









500 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



but that was not to be expected in a place of its 
character and recent growth. 

Opposite Han-kow, on the right bank of the 
river Han, is the smaller city of Han-yiang. It 
also was ruined by the rebels, and has been only 
partially restored. 

Across the Yiang-tse, which is at that point 
three quarters of a mile wide, is Wu-chang, the 
capital of the Hoopeh province. " Its hills ter- 
raced with houses, and crowned with pagodas, 
and its double wall lining the margin of the 
river, with towers,, gateways, and bastions, all 
combine to give it an imposing and majestic ap- 
pearance." The situation of these three cities, 
Wu-chang, Han-yiang, and Han-kow, reminded 
us somewhat of New York, Brooklyn, and 
Jersey City, but the river Han is much nar- 
rower than the East River separating New York 
and Brooklyn. Indeed, it is here so narrow 
that one might easily throw a stone across it. 
It varies from a hundred to a hundred and 
fifty yards in width. But it is very deep, and 
is navigable for hundreds of miles beyond this 
point. Navigation of the Yiang-tse is made 
difficult, if not impossible, by rapids, about one 
hundred and fifty miles above Han-kow. 

The population of these three cities combined 



TRIP UP THE RIVER YIANG-TSE. 501 

Pere Hue estimated at eight millions ; but I fear 
the " good father " was either fond of making 
a large story, or else, like myself, was unskilled 
in the art of computation. Half that estimate 
would not have been a small one. A modern 
English traveller says, " Perhaps their united 
population may have equalled that of London, 
but certainly never exceeded it." I, however, 
think that in the good days of old, before the 
" troublesome pests " (as the imperialists style 
the rebels) had ravaged that fair region, this 
wonderful place may have had the presumption 
to "more than equal London." 

The current is so strong in the Yiang-tse that 
few native vessels were anchored in it, but the 
Han for a long distance was crowded with junks 
and lighter craft. There is not much foreign 
shipping at Han-kow, but large river steamers 
constantly ply between that place and Shanghai ; 
and merchant vessels also, some of heavy draft, go 
there to take in cargoes for America and England. 

From what we saw of Han-kow we were con- 
vinced that it is not only a very important com- 
mercial centre, but also an equally important 
one for missions. No American society had 
then, or has yet, any mission on this great river. 
It seems lamentable that while merchants of all 









502 



OUR LIFE IN CHINA. 



sorts, with praiseworthy energy, have taken 
advantage at once of these promising openings 
for commerce, the church has been so remiss in 
her efforts to plant in them the standard of the 
cross. Plenty of men and plenty of money 
seem always at the beck and call of commerce ; 
but neither men nor money are often ready when 
Christ by his providence says, " I have opened 
the way : enter in and possess the land for me." 
Why is it? 

Our voyage up the Great River had not been 
slow, but our return, owing to the strong current, 
was exceedingly rapid. We spent part of a day 
at Kyiu-kiang, taking tiffin with a friend on 
shore, who also accompanied us in a walk 
through the city, — that is, the gentlemen walked; 
I was in a sedan. We gained the highest point 
of a hill within the walls, which afforded a bird's- 
eye view of the whole vicinity. The walls are 
extensive and the city is pleasantly situated, but 
now, like nearly all in this region, it bears sad 
testimony to the reckless character of the rebels, 
who a few years since held possession of it. The 
houses are wonderfully few. Its population must 
at present be small, for which reason I suppose 
it will not be likely to be chosen as a mission 
station. But it would seem as if there ought to 



TRIP UP THE RIVER YIANG-TSE. 503 

be at least one or two missionaries there. It is 
sad to think of its being left without any attempt 
made for the good of its inhabitants. But it, 
alas ! is only one of thousands of cities in this 
vast empire which have never yet heard the 
" good news " of a Saviour. Ever since our visit 
to Han-kow I have had a strong desire to live 
and labor in some place in these remote inland 
provinces, either to follow the Yiang-tse still fur- 
ther towards its source, or to seek a home on the 
shores of the spirited Han. 

I have heard old sea-captains, who were famil- 
iar with the noble Mississippi, express the 
opinion that both for beauty and purposes of 
commerce, that river is inferior to the Yiang-tse 
kiang, or Ta-kiang (Great River) as it is as 
often called in China. They seem to me very 
much alike. The banks of both are often low 
and uninteresting, and navigation on both re- 
quires the aid of a good pilot acquainted with 
the channel. I do not think there are as many 
lagoons and marshes on the Ta-kiang as on the 
shores of the Mississippi ; but still in certain 
parts there are not a few of these. 

The " Robert Low," in which our passage 
had been engaged, returned from Hang-kow, 
where she had been taking in a cargo of tea, 



504 OUR LIFE IN CHINA 

shortly after our arrival in Shanghai, but did 
not sail for England until the first of July. It 
was with mingled feelings of sorrow and pleasure 
that we prepared for a homeward voyage. The 
prospect of meeting our parents and other loved 
friends, on the shores of our native land, was 
truly delightful ; but the necessity of bidding 
farewell to China, dear China, was most painful ; 
and for the time feelings of intense sorrow and 
regret predominated. Our missionaries in Shang- 
hai, and also some valued acquaintances among 
the merchants, had shown us every kindness, 
and we felt most sadly to part with them ; while 
Ningpo on the south, and Tung-chow on the 
north, almost equally divided our affection and 
our regret at leaving them. But at length the 
farewell words were spoken, the anchor was 
weighed, and we bade adieu to Shanghai; a 
little more than ten years after our first arrival 
there. 

THE END. 

























































































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